


Foothold.

by steeleye



Series: Military Faith. [5]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Predator (1987), Predator 2 (1990), Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Horror, Sci-Fi, cross over fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 54,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6607681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steeleye/pseuds/steeleye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The US military now had a shoot first, dissect later attitude to monsters and aliens; unfortunately other agencies didn’t feel the same way. There were still those who thought they could make deals with Zog from Planet ‘X’.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Foothold.

By Steeleye.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the movie ‘Predator 1  & 2’, I write these stories for fun not profit.

 **Crossover:** The movies Predator 1  & 2.

 **Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar:** Written in glorious UK-English which is different to US-English.

 **Timeline:** A 'Military Faith' story set in early 2007. 

**Words:** 17 Chapters of 3000+ words.

 **Warnings:** Some violence, harsh language and minor femslash.

**Summary: The US military now had a shoot first, dissect later attitude to monsters and aliens; unfortunately other agencies didn’t feel the same way. There were still those who thought they could make deals with Zog from Planet ‘X’.**

****

0=0=0=0

_Wake up you sleepy head  
Put on some clothes, shake up your bed  
Put another log on the fire for me  
I've made some breakfast and coffee  
I look out my window what do I see  
A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me  
All the nightmares came today  
And it looks as though they're here to stay._

‘Oh you pretty things’; David Bowie.

**Friday Night, Norfolk, Virginia, April, 2007.**

Climbing out of her Hummer onto the rain wet street, Faith adjusted her pistol belt and checked out her surroundings. A typical Norfolk street, she thought; cars passing by at a junction down the road aways. A few people hurrying along the sidewalk, their collars turned up against the cold drizzle…the abandoned patrol car with its lights still flashing parked half way across the sidewalk in front of the bar. Reaching inside her vehicle, Faith took the night stick from its resting place next to her seat and slipped it into the loop on her belt.

“What’d think we’ve got, Slay?” Sergeant Michael ‘Ant’ Anthony asked as he got out from behind the steering wheel of the Humvee.

“Call said a disturbance in a bar,” Faith rested her hands on her belt; one hand on top of the flap of her pistol holster the other resting on her night-stick. “Doesn’t look too ‘disturbed’ to me.”

The call had come in only a few minutes ago, Faith and her partner had been just around the corner. They’d arrived within a couple of minutes only to find the local LEO’s were there already. Someone had called in to say there was a soldier smashing up a bar, Faith looked up and down the street again, there didn’t seem to be any evidence to suggest that anything illegal was going on…except for the abandoned police cruiser.

“We better go check it out,” Faith started towards the door of the bar.

“Bet its not even one of ours,” Ant muttered as he followed closely behind her, “people see a uniform that obviously isn’t Navy and they immediately think ‘soldier’ an’ call us.”

“I don’t care,” Faith replied as she reached for the door, “as long as it isn’t a Marine.”

Just as Faith was about to pull the door open the MP’s had to jump aside as the door burst open; two local cops tumbled from the doorway to land in a heap on the sidewalk. The civilian cops moaned as they sat up amidst the glittering shards of glass that lay on the ground all around them. In accordance with the universal rules of bar fights, the two local cops were unhurt and picked themselves up before dusting themselves down. Walking slowly over to the LEOs, Faith looked them up and down and shook her head pityingly.

“How many?” she asked the older of the two cops.

“MP’s are here,” commented the cop to his partner as he straightened himself out, he looked down at Faith and said, “just the one.”

“Just the one, big guy was he?” Faith looked from the two cops to the smashed door and back again, she signed heavily, “Okay, leave this to us.”

“Hey!” The cop grabbed Faith by the shoulder as she started to turn away, “We’ll deal with this…AAAGH!”

Her hands and body a blur of movement, Faith grabbed the officer’s hand from off her arm, she’d turned and now had him in an arm lock. The guy’s partner moved to intervene but was stopped when Ant put his hand on his chest.

“Trust me,” Ant smiled, “you really don’t want to annoy my partner anymore than she is already,” he turned his head to look at Faith, “let him go Slay.”

“Yeah, okay,” Faith reluctantly let go of the cop’s hand and pushed him away, she glanced at Ant, “I’m goin’ in, okay?”

“Right behind you Slay,” Ant confirmed.

“Hey,” the older cop rubbed his abused shoulder as he followed behind Ant and Faith, “what’s wrong with her, she on the rag or something?”

Halting, Ant turned to face the cop and smiled nastily at him.

“Look,” Ant said evenly, “the Staff Sergeant just doesn’t like to be grabbed, okay?” Ant began to turn away again but stopped and turned back to the cop, “And if I ever hear you disrespecting a holder of the Silver and Bronze Stars again I will personally ram my night-stick so far up your ass you’ll think you’re a popsicle…okay?”

Walking into the bar, Faith looked around carefully; the place had certainly been trashed. There were tables and chairs lying on the floor along with smashed glasses and spilt drinks. Leaning against the bar at the far end of the room was a Marine, he sipped from a glass of bourbon as he gazed at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. At least he would have if the Marine had cast one.

“Fuck it!” Faith whispered to herself, “A freaking bloodsucker.”

It always amazed Faith the way a bloodsucker’s clothes cast no reflection. Logic would seem to dictate that she should be seeing the reflection of the bloodsucker’s uniform. Smiling she thought how neat it would be to see some guy’s clothes walking about by themselves. Her hand fell automatically to her pistol holster before she could stop it. Bitter experience told her that bullets didn’t stop bloodsuckers; she’d found that useful fact out one dark night in Iraq. To deal with this situation she’d need to get up close and personal, she’d have to snap the bloodsucker’s neck…either that or set it on fire. Turning back to the door, Faith was just in time to stop Ant from coming into the bar and seeing the bloodsucker.

“Hey look,” Faith said quietly, “no need for ya to come in man, I’ll deal, okay?”

“You sure?” Ant looked into his partners eyes; he liked working with Faith, but every now and again they’d turn up somewhere and she’d get this funny look in her eyes and she’d cut him out of the action. 

It was almost as if she didn’t think he could handle whatever was going down. So far he’d always accepted her explanation that she could handle whatever it was that needed handling, but one day soon he was going to need to know what her problem was. He didn’t think it was him, it was something that she just wouldn’t talk about.

“Okay,” Ant nodded, “I’ll watch the door shall I?”

“Please,” Faith smiled at her partner all the time wishing she could tell him the truth, while at the same time doubting he could handle it.

“I know you’re tougher an’ stronger than you look, Slay but…” Ant gestured towards the bar.

“Frightened I’m gonna get my ass kicked?” Faith smiled lazily, “Trust me it ain’t gonna happen.”

Turning away from her partner, Faith walked back into the bar.

“Great,” Ant muttered as Faith disappeared from his view, “trust me to get the suicidal partner.”

0=0=0=0

“This should be interesting.”

The words froze Faith in her tracks; she followed the sound of the voice to its source. Sitting on the bar dressed in what looked like skin-tight motorcycle leathers and boots with impossibly high heels; was an attractive, blonde haired woman in her mid twenties. Faith’s eyes glided up and down the woman’s shapely figure taking in her beauty from the bottom of her boots to the top of her head with its main of golden hair. Faith had never seen a woman quite so beautiful before; she also wondered why she’d not noticed her earlier.

“You okay, Miss?” Faith asked after regaining focus.

“Oh, I’m just fine,” laughed the woman, her voice sounded like water tinkling over a waterfall, Faith thought she caught a trace of an Irish accent.

Turning her attention back to the Marine, who Faith noticed was still just standing at the bar gazing at the mirror, she dismissed the woman from her mind, for now.

“Okay, asshole,” Faith said in a business-like tone, “you coming peaceable?”

“I ain’t gone nowhere ‘peaceable’ since I was thirteen,” the Marine replied as if he was an actor in an old western, “you think you can make me?” The Marine laughed slowly as he pushed himself away from the bar and turned to face Faith, “Y’know you can’t spell ‘whimp’ with out the em-pee’!”

“Wrong thing to say, blowjob,” Faith sighed quietly as she drew her nightstick.

The Marine laughed as his face distorted and he sprang across the wrecked room trying to catch Faith in his claw-like grip. Stepping quickly to one side, she hit the bloodsucker on the side of the head with her nightstick as he stumbled by. The Marine was going too fast to stop and turn quickly and he blundered on by her and collided with the wall. In an instant Faith was on him, she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind up his back.

The bloodsucking Marine struggled in her grasp as he tried to escape her hold. The fact that Faith was as strong as, or even stronger than he was seemed to have shaken the bloodsucker’s confidence. Feeling the panic in his frantic attempts to break loose, Faith smiled to herself and tightened her grip on the vampire Marine. Managing to lift one of his legs the bloodsucker placed his foot against the wall and pushed. The two combatants stumbled across the floor until Faith’s boot caught on an overturned chair and they both went tumbling to the floor.

Recovering quickly, Faith managed to grab the bloodsucker around the neck as they rolled across the floor. Flexing her unnaturally strong arm muscles, she smiled as she heard and felt the bloodsucker’s neck break. The next moment she found herself lying on the floor covered in the dusty, ash-like stuff these monsters turned into after she’d killed one. Standing up, Faith brushed down her uniform and turned to face the woman sitting on the bar.

“Well that was surprising,” the blonde hadn’t moved an inch while Faith had fought the bloodsucker.

“Okay Miss,” Faith turned to give the woman a reappraising look, there was something not right about her, “did you know this man?”

“Know him?” the woman seemed to be laughing at her, “Not as such, but there’s one like him in almost every bar.”

Frowning, Faith thought about what the woman had just said, it seemed an odd thing to say even in a bar late on a Friday night with the fleet in port.

“Okay, I’m taking you in for questioning,” Faith walked over and took hold of the woman’s arm moving too fast for her to react to.

“Oh no you’re…feck me!” the woman looked down at Faith’s hand surprised to find it attached to her arm; she looked up into Faith’s eyes and smiled a knowing smile, “Well, well, well you’re like me, I shoulda known!”

“You what?” Faith frowned, wondering what the hell the woman was talking about.

Suddenly, Faith found herself holding on to thin air, she looked around in confusion; where had the woman gone and how had she broken free? Something moved and Faith turned to see the woman standing in the doorway that led to the yard at the back of the bar, she grinned at Faith showing even white teeth.

“Good luck, soldier girl,” she laughed, “see you around some time.”

Before Faith could even move the blonde had gone.

“Whatever,” Faith sighed; this was just another episode in the weirdness that was her life, she’d work it out later

Just then the two original cops chose that moment to burst back into the bar followed by a whole load of their buddies. As the room filled up with cops, they asked Faith where the Marine had disappeared to. Faith just shrugged her shoulders and said that when she’d got into the bar there’d not been any Marine; just a blonde girl who’d run off out the back door. Somehow she managed to imply that the two original cops had made up the story about the Marine to cover the fact they’d had their asses kicked by a woman. Collecting up Ant with her eye, they went back outside to their Humvee and drove off leaving the LEOs to deal with the mess. Sighing, Faith couldn’t help thinking that if she never saw another bloodsucker or any more mysterious blondes ever again she’d be a happy soldier.

0=0=0=0

About seven years previously, Faith had woken up in a hospital room in a place called Sunnydale, California. Apart from her name she’d had no idea who she was or why she’d been in a coma for the past eight months. Faith’d had a few dream-like memories of a woman who’d killed the man she thought was her father and then come after her with a knife; Faith had been stabbed in the stomach and left for dead. 

The police told her that there was no knife wielding woman; that the man she’d thought was her father was actually the Mayor of Sunnydale who’d died in a gas explosion at the local high school. It was obvious to Faith when she thought about it later that the cops had thought that she’d been this mayor guy’s squeeze; although how this went together with being stabbed no one had explained. It was all very confusing, particularly if you’d spent the last eight months asleep and had no memory of what had happened before you took your little nap. It was even more confusing when two detectives came into her room a couple of nights later. They gave her an envelope containing money and all the documents she’d need to start a new life somewhere other than Sunnydale, they’d been very insistent on this point. They’d given her a bag of clothes and suggested that she leave town…that night.

Leaving Sunnydale, Faith had drifted for a couple of months trying to get her head round what had happened to her. With the money she’d been given starting to run low she looked around for something she could do. As the only thing she seemed to be good at was fighting (due to her unnatural strength and reactions) or stripping (due to her unbelievably hot body), eventually she walked into an army recruitment office and enlisted in the US Army, they seemed glad to have her.

It only took Faith a few months to realise she loved the army, it gave her everything she needed, but most of all it gave her a reason to ‘be’. In time she found herself in Iraq attached to an infantry unit, where she distinguished herself in several actions earning the Silver and Bronze Stars plus three Purple Hearts. After returning to Iraq from the States where she’d been sent home to recover from the injuries she’d received during an ambush. Her C/O had told her that the army was getting cold feet about her being in the forefront of any battle that happened by and had she ever thought of transferring to another corps?

This was how she’d found herself in the Military Police Corps in 2006. After training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, she and her friend, Corporal Brenda Mitchell, had found themselves posted to the Marine base at Camp Lejeune. Due to the manpower shortage in the US military they found themselves helping to train the young Marines; they’d even gone into action with them on the island of Nunca-Aterriza.

After returning from the Marines they’d both been posted to ‘A’ Company 727th Military Police Battalion at Fort Robert Shaw in Virginia. Life at Fort Shaw turned out to be far from boring. Within a couple of weeks Faith had found herself drugged and kidnapped by some pervert who’d held her captive in an old ammo bunker. Although she’d escaped, the things that had been done to her had weighed heavily on her mind and by Christmas her relationship with Brenda was over.

After Brenda had moved out of the little house they’d shared, Faith realised that the break-up was bound to have happened sometime anyway. Whatever else had gone on in their lives, their relationship was basically about sex (or so she’d told herself); Faith had realised and she thought Brenda had too, that they’d be bound to drift apart eventually. The kidnapping had just made it happen sooner rather than later, they were still friends but romantically it was all over.

0=0=0=0

**Monday morning, Fort Shaw, Virginia.**

The morning dawned bright and clear; after eating breakfast, Faith had left her house; she had to be on duty at zero-eight-hundred. This week it was her platoon’s turn for training. After morning parade all the squad leaders (which included Faith) went into Lt Anderson’s office to receive their training program for the week and review any special training needs the platoon might have. Today, Faith found she’d be going through anti-ambush drills with her squad before taking part in a platoon sized exercise later in the week.

Other things of note for the week where a trip to the rifle ranges and a map reading exercise up in the mountains. Looking at the neatly laid out list of activities, Faith sighed just a little. Exercises were all good fun, but they didn’t give her the ‘rush’ that actual combat did. However, training weeks gave her more time to ‘freelance’ in the city tracking down and killing bloodsuckers. However, Faith was destined never to go ‘freelancing’ in Jeffersonville ever again.

0=0=0=0

**David E. Twiggs Junior High, later that morning.**

Climbing out of her Humvee, Faith saw that at least half the school had been reduced to ruins. All around her the lights of emergency vehicles flashed as police, fire fighters and paramedics made their way towards the ruined buildings while others carried stretchers towards the waiting ambulances. At first, Faith was a little overwhelmed by everything that was going on around her; she’d never experienced so much chaos on such a large scale before. Climbing out of the Hummer she walked slowly around the vehicle to stand next to Lt Anderson.

“What do we do, Ma’am?” Faith wanted to know; if there’d been an enemy to fight she’d know instinctively what to do, but this...this was out of her area of expertise.

“Wait by the Hummer, Sergeant,” Anderson instructed her, “I’m going to try and find the local emergency co-ordinator.”

“On it, Ma’am,” Faith replied as she watched her platoon leader disappear into the chaos of emergency crews and stunned children.

Waiting by the vehicle, Faith found herself watching emergency workers bring stretchers from the school to the waiting ambulances and medical teams. Someone had set up a casualty clearing station near by and Faith watched as medical staff fought to stabilise casualties before sending them off to hospital. Her eyes drifted away from this scene to where a short row of small bodies lay covered in blood stained sheets and blankets.

Standing there by herself, Faith began to get a clearer idea of what must have happened. The aircraft had obviously flown in low over the sea before crashing into the school. This she’d worked out from the long scare across the school's sports field that carried on into the housing on the perimeter. If the aircraft had suddenly dropped out of the sky it would have made a very big hole in the ground and more than likely destroyed the school completely. As it was, Faith guessed that the aircraft had slowed significantly before hitting the school buildings and stopping.

After a minute or two, Faith’s senses started to warn her of something that wasn’t quite right; she moved so she could stand on a lump of wall to take a good look around. It took her a second or two to realise what was missing. In just about every picture of an air crash she’d seen one thing stuck out in her mind above all else. The aircraft’s tail nearly always survived to stand out from the rest of the wreckage, looking around she could see no sign of the tail-plane; and then there was the smell. Sniffing without really knowing she was doing it, Faith could smell the smell of burning wood and paper, she could even catch the stench of charred flesh; thankfully not too strongly. But the one thing she couldn’t smell was aviation fuel. Surely even if the aircraft had been at the end of its flight, flying on almost empty tanks she should be able to smell fuel.

0=0=0=0

Standing in the sunshine of an early spring morning, Faith breathed deeply of air that smelt of fire and death. As she did so she noticed how things had changed in only the few minutes since she and the rest of her platoon had arrived. In the last five minutes or so things were looking a lot less chaotic around the rescue site. Looking up Faith could see two or three news choppers buzzing around the crash site like annoying hornets. The manic air of the rescue workers had now been replaced by efficient professionalism as emergency plans were dusted off and people started to take charge and get things organised. Keeping out of the rescue worker’s way, she waited by the Humvee.

“Sergeant,” Lt Anderson nodded her head to Faith as she came to stand beside her.

The two soldiers stood in silence for a moment as they surveyed the crash site.

“Notice anything unusual, Sergeant?” Lt Anderson asked in a conversational tone.

“Like you mean that this isn’t a normal plane crash, ma’am?” Faith turned to look at her officer.

“Yes,” Anderson nodded her head slowly, “they’re saying it might have been a terrorist attack gone wrong. That someone was trying to crash onto Norfolk Naval Base.”

“No ma’am,” Faith shook her head.

“No, you don’t think it’s a terrorist attack?” Lt Anderson waited for Faith to explain herself. 

“No ma’am,” Faith took a deep breath, “I don’t think this is a normal aircraft.”

“Explain,” Anderson invited her to speak some more; Faith was an experienced NCO and Anderson was more than willing to hear what she had to say.

“Look ma’am,” Faith gestured to the crash site, “where’s the wings an’ engines, where’s the tail? There’s always stuff like that lying around and okay we’ve got some fires but shouldn’t an airplane cause more…” Faith paused for a moment, “…and where’s the bodies? I’m no expert ma’am,” Faith shrugged, “but I’ve seen stuff on TV an’ this doesn’t look right to me…”

“Keep going Sergeant you’re doing fine,” Lt Anderson encouraged Faith to keep talking as she appeared to be mirroring her own concerns.

“…well,” Faith to a long breath as she tried to decide how she was going to say what she wanted to say, “and it doesn’t look like a seven-forty-seven to me it…” Faith swallowed hard, “…it looks more like a space ship or something.”

“A spaceship,” Lt Anderson turned her head and raised a sceptical eyebrow at her subordinate, “what makes you say that, Sergeant?”

“I don’t know ma’am,” Faith replied miserably, unsure whether she should say any more, “a feeling maybe or it just didn’t _look_ right and…”

“Okay, Sergeant Lehane,” Lt Anderson smiled reassuringly at Faith, “there’s no need to look so worried, I’m not going to have you kicked out on a Section Eight.” The Lieutenant walked slowly over to the Hummer, reached inside to bring out the microphone for the vehicle’s radio. “A lot of what you say agrees with my reading of the situation and I’m…WHAT THE FUCK!”

There was a flash like a surface to air missile streaking up into the sky, followed by the ear numbing blast as one of the news choppers exploded overhead. The two soldiers watching in helpless fascination as the burning wreck of the helicopter tumbled from the sky like a burning toy. Everyone looked on in shocked silence as the helicopter crashed into the ground next to a fire department truck. In the excitement no one noticed the vague shape move quickly away from the crash site and towards Jeffersonville.

0=0=0=0


	2. Chapter 2

2.

**David E. Twiggs Junior High.**

Even as she ran forward, pistol in hand, Faith knew that she wouldn’t find anything. Dodging between the wreckage of the air crash she tried to remember what she’d actually seen and not what she thought she’d seen. Okay, she told herself as she slowed down and started to move more cautiously, she’d seen a missile fired at a helicopter, right? So, if it was a missile why wasn’t there a smoke trail leading from the launch point? Also, how come she’d not actually seen a missile? She’d seen missiles fired before and it didn’t matter how fast they went, her super-vision always gave her at least an impression of a shape. As far as Faith could remember she’d only seen the flare of the missile’s motor and even that hadn’t looked right.

Moving sideways around a large piece of wreckage with her pistol pointed out in front of her, Faith swept the ground before her with her eyes. There was nothing to indicate that this had been the launch point, yet this was where her memories were telling her the missile had been fired from, so, why wasn’t there a discarded launch tube lying on the ground? Why wasn’t there even a wisp of smoke in the air from the missile’s rocket motor? This was too weird; no way could she be that far off in her estimation of where the missile had been fired from. Turning at the sound of masonry moving behind her, Faith turned quickly and found herself pointing her weapon at Corporal Brenda Mitchell’s head.

“Jeez!” Faith gasped as she lowered her pistol, “I nearly blew ya freaking head off!”

“Never happen, Slay,” Brenda advanced carefully across the rubble, her own pistol held in both hands and pointing at the sky, “what yuh got?”

“Nothin’,” Faith shook her head in confusion, “I’m sure this is where they fired from…you?”

“Same,” Brenda relaxed as she came to stand next to Faith, “looks like they got clean away.”

“No-way,” Faith looked at her friend in astonishment, “how?”

“People too busy dodging pieces of burning chopper I ‘spect,” Brenda informed Faith with a slight grin.

“Oh, yeah,” Faith nodded her head slowly, “forgot about that,” she admitted before asking, “Any of the crew get out?”

“Nah,” Brenda shook her head, “all dead, killed a fire fighter on the ground too.”

“Crap,” Faith cursed as she scanned the debris around her, like so many other things today, something just wasn’t right, “Okay, let’s work outwards from here and…oooh!”

“What’s up, Slay?” Brenda was at Faith’s side in an instant.

“Oh, crap that hurts!” Faith was bent over as the cramps took control of her stomach.

“Hey,” Brenda frowned, “it’s not your time of the month is it?”

“Different type of cramps,” Faith informed her as she slowly stood up again.

“Yuh mean…” Brenda’s voice faded away as she stepped away from her friend and brought her weapon up into firing position.

“Yeah,” Faith had almost fully recovered now, “ambush cramps,” her own weapon was up and ready now, “let’s get outta here, okay?”

“I’m with yuh,” Brenda nodded as she slowly started to retrace her steps.

“HOLD IT!” Faith called as she went into a crouch and sighted her pistol on something in the rubble.

“What’s wrong?” Brenda pointed her pistol in the same direction as Faith’s but couldn’t see anything.

“I thought…” Faith frowned; she’d thought she’d seen something move, a simmer or something as it moved between two piles of wreckage, but now it was gone as had her cramps. “It’s nothin’,” Faith relaxed and lowered her weapon, “must be seein’ things.”

“Getting’ old more like,” Brenda laughed as she replaced her pistol in its holster; if Faith said there was nothing there you could take it to the bank.

“Sergeant Lehane!” Lt Anderson’s voice came from behind Faith and Brenda.

“Ma’am?” Faith turned to look at her officer; the young woman was making her own way through the debris her weapon still out and ready, “Find anything?”

“No ma’am,” Faith replied disappointedly, “musta got the wrong location or something.”

“No?” Anderson looked around, “But this looks about right, I was looking right at that chunk of…of…” Anderson gestured to a large piece of incomprehensible machinery, “whatever that is. This is the spot,” Anderson looked around, “but-but you must be right, there’s nothing here…”

Not knowing what to make of the incident, Lt Anderson decided to play it by the book.

“Okay, Sergeant,” Anderson began, “collect up the guys and form a cordon around the site.”

“How far out, ma’am?” Faith wanted to know.

“One hundred metres from this point,” Anderson saw the uncertain look on Faith’s face, “I know it’ll be thin but do the best you can, I’ll get more troops in,” Anderson paused for a moment before continuing, “only let emergency crews and cops inside the cordon, okay?”

“On it ma’am!” Faith turned away and started to jog off to collect the rest of the platoon.

“Corporal Mitchell,” Anderson turned to Brenda, “you’re with me.”

“Sure thing, ma’am,” Brenda hurried off after her platoon leader; as she walked she couldn’t help feeling that someone was drawing a bead on a point right between her shoulder blades.

0=0=0=0

It was now over an hour since the missile (or what ever it was) had been fired. About forty-five minutes ago Captain Horne and another platoon of ‘A’ company had turned up to reinforce Lt Anderson’s platoon. Third Platoon had helped thicken up the cordon and now there were enough personnel around to free up a few to do roving patrols around the crash site which was what Faith and Brenda were doing right at that moment.

The crash site was almost deserted now with just a few search teams sweeping the area in case they’d missed any casualties and even they’d be leaving soon. So far the rescue teams had accounted for all the pupils and staff from the school and casualties had been relatively light. Two teachers had been killed along with fifteen of their charges; the wounded amounted to about thirty staff and pupils plus a multitude of much less serious injuries. It could all have been so much worse if the airplane, or whatever it was, had crashed into the classrooms and not the gym. 

Orders had come down from on high; rumour had it, straight from the Pentagon. That the site was to be secured for the military and no civilian agencies were to be allowed on site. This all told Faith that she’d been right to suspect that what had crashed here wasn’t a civilian aircraft and was something out of the ordinary.

“Hey, lookie here,” Brenda pointed up into the sky as two army choppers approached the site.

Looking up Faith saw them too; she’d been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice their approach.

“Wonder who they are?” Faith asked as the two women watched the Blackhawks go into a hover before landing, their rotors blowing loose debris all over the crash site.

“Guess we’ll soon find out,” Brenda replied as the doors in the side of the closest Blackhawk opened and combat troops started to jump from the aircraft and deploy around it.

“Now that proves it,” Faith said over the noise of the choppers, “there is definitely some weird shit going down!”

“You better believe it,” Brenda pointed to where a figure got slowly down from the second chopper.

Even at about a hundred metres there was no hiding the fact that the figure was an officer. You could tell by the way he moved and how people moved around him.

“Crap,” Faith breathed quietly, she’d noticed the officer’s limp as he walked slowly towards the crash site proper followed by a shorter slighter figure, obviously a woman.

“Oh come off it!” Brenda pleaded to the universe, “I do not deserve this.”

“Freaking, Major Finn, god damn it!” Faith shook her head, this was oh so bad; weird things tended to happen around Major Finn and when it did, Faith and Brenda usually ended up sharing in the weirdness.

“When we get back to base,” Brenda confided in her friend, “I’m gonna ask if there’s any quiet posting open for a girl up in Alaska.”

“Right there with ya, B,” Faith agreed.

0=0=0=0

Climbing down carefully from the Blackhawk, Riley Finn paused for a moment to watch his men deploy around the two helicopters. Satisfied that everything was as it should be he raised the direction of his gaze to include the crash site and the surrounding area. If what had crashed here was what his bosses thought it was it was vitally important to secure the area and recover all the wreckage. It was also vitally important to ensure that all the crew, if they’d still been aboard, where dead. If they weren’t dead, Major Riley Finn had orders to make them dead asap! The army at least had learnt from the ‘Initiative Fiasco’ as it was referred to. They now had a shoot to kill policy on all hostile visitors who weren’t descended from apes.

Ignoring the two MP’s who were standing about fifty metres away to his left, Riley moved cautiously across the uneven ground and studied the wreckage for a moment. He didn’t need any fancy scanners or detectors to tell him this was what they’d suspected, even feared, it was. However, he turned to face the woman who was following a couple of paces behind him.

“Willow,” Riley couldn’t help but smile at the witch; she looked lost in the set of slightly too big fatigues she’d been given to wear, “is it them?”

“Hold on,” pushing a wayward lock of hair back up under the army cap she was wearing, Willow closed her eyes and concentrated; after a moment or two she breathed out heavily, opened her eyes and looked up into Riley’s face, “Yep, as near as I can tell its one of their’s also…” Willow closed her eyes again and frowned before speaking again, “…there’s one, possibly two slayers close by. I can’t get a good fix on them because that thing,” she gestured at the wreck, “is totally messing with my magic.”

“Local girls?” Riley asked; he didn’t bother looking, if the slayers didn’t want to be seen they wouldn’t be.

“Maybe, I’ll call Buffy later,” Willow relaxed as she went over to stand next to Riley.

“Yeah,” Riley nodded his head slowly, “you better ask her to get them to back off until we know exactly what we’re facing here.”

“Yes sir!” Willow grinned up at Riley as she gave him a mock salute.

“Hell,” Riley sighed heavily as he chose to ignore Willow’s mocking of his chosen profession, “there’s some Air Force people out in Colorado Springs who are supposed to be experts on ET’s. I’ll ask General Brittles to call them in; we might need help on this one.”

“You think?” Willow gave the alien ship a worried look.

Having read the reports of the two known landings made by these alien creatures, Willow knew it’d take more firepower than the slayers possessed to take them down. However, since the US armed forces had got over the idea that they could somehow use HST’s and HALF’s to further their own agendas, she and the rest of the Reformed Watchers Council were quite happy to work with them. Unfortunately although the military had a healthy shoot first, dissect later attitude, that didn’t mean that all US government agencies felt the same way. There were still some people in dark back-rooms that thought they could make deals with the Devil or Lord Zog from Planet ‘X’. Noticing that Riley had moved to get closer to the crashed space ship, Willow hurried to catch up with him; sometimes it amazed her how fast he could move on one and a half legs.

“So what-cha-gonna do?” Willow asked as she stumbled after Riley.

“First,” Riley glanced over his shoulder at Willow, “get more troops down here to properly secure the area.”

“And then…” Willow prompted.

“Get the engineers in to move that thing,” Riley stopped in front of a long, thick, pod-like object, there was no clue to say what it was. “And while we’re doing that we hunt the crew down and kill them.”

“You want help?” Willow asked.

“I’d appreciate it if you could help out,” Riley turned to face Willow, “your expertise would be very useful.”

“Aye-aye, Captain!” Again Willow threw up another mock salute.

“That’s navy,” Riley replied with a tired smile.

“Same thing isn’t it?” Willow frowned truly puzzled by why Riley looked as if he was going to murder her on the spot.

0=0=0=0

“So, what yuh thinks goin’ on here?” B asked as she and Faith watched Major Finn and the short red-head talking.

“What ever it is I’m betting we won’t be here for much longer,” Faith replied.

“How you figure?” B wanted to know.

“This is all too weird for us chickens,” Faith informed her buddy, “Do you ever get the feeling we made a mistake rescuing Major Finn that time?”

“Now you mention it,” B glanced at her friend, “yeup.”

“Too late now,” Faith admitted, “we can’t go back in time and stop ourselves from rescuing him.”

“Who says?” B replied in all seriousness, “with all the weirdness that’s followed us around since Iraq, a little time-travel ain’t no problem.”

“Yeah,” Faith sighed and started to turn away from where the Major and the woman stood, “you’re probably right. Come on,” Faith started to walk back towards were the command Hummer was parked, “better let Captain Horne and the L-t know what we’ve seen and what we thinks gonna happen.”

0=0=0=0

**Jeffersonville Docks.**

Standing in the shadow of a warehouse, Captain A P Hill stuck a small mirror onto the end of a slim metal rod and held it out so he could see around the corner of the building; he watched his target for a moment. Smiling to himself he slowly pulled the mirror back into cover; if everything went to plan the Columbians were in for a nasty surprise. It had taken months of careful police work to discover the Columbian’s distribution centre in the Jeffersonville’s docks area. It had then taken even more weeks of careful watching and waiting to discover when the next shipment of drugs would be delivered to the warehouse just along the service road from his present location. A day too early and there’d be nothing there and he’d have wasted his time raiding an empty building. A day too late and the drugs would have been distributed to other centres up and down the east coast and its hinterland. So far everything had gone his way, a shipment had arrived late yesterday and was being stored in the warehouse. As far as he could tell there’d been no leaks and the Columbians hadn’t been tipped off.

“Captain?” Sergeant Blake whispered attracting his Captain’s attention; Hill nodded for the Sergeant to go on. “All teams report ready to go, sir,” Blake lifted the microphone of his radio nearer to his lips in anticipation of his commander’s order.

Glancing down at his watch, Captain Hill noted that it was almost three o’clock in the afternoon. The Columbians would never be expecting him at this time of day.

“Tell ‘em to go,” Hill nodded to his sergeant.

“Go! All teams go!” Sergeant Blake said clearly into his radio before taking a firm grip on his assault rifle.

Waiting for his teams to get into their ‘breaching’ positions, Captain Hill pulled down his goggles over his eyes, checked his rifle and stepped out into the open. Running along beside the wall of the warehouse, Hill was aware of his command team running along behind him. He could hear the soft thudding of their boots as they hit the concrete roadway, the rattle of their equipment as it bounced in time to their footsteps. Up ahead he could see one of his breaching teams place a charge on the door next to the big loading bay doors at the front of the building. So far they’d heard nothing from the Columbians; he knew there were at least half a dozen men inside. Obviously he’d been right, they’d not expected to be raided in the middle of the afternoon.

Taking up position behind the breaching team, Hill waited for a second before nodding at the team leader. The man, anonymous in his black combat gear, nodded to his boss before pressing the trigger on the detonator he held in his hand. There was a sharp *CRACK!* as the charge went off. A cloud of light grey smoke rose as the heavy metal door swung open. At a muffled ‘Go!’ from the team leader the breaching team entered the building. For a moment there was complete silence, but only for a moment. The breaching team hadn’t been inside the building for more than five seconds before they were hit by a hurricane of automatic fire.

There in front of his shocked eyes, Captain Hill saw one of his men stumble back out through the door and collapse onto the road. Letting his training take over Hill moved forward to take up position at the edge of the doorway. Firing into the warehouse he covered one of his men as he took up position on the opposite side of the door. Pausing to reload, Hill and his man both fired into the building so that the injured officer could be pulled to safety.

Satisfied that at least one of his injured men was out of danger, Hill gave up his position to another of his men. Listening to the reports coming in over his radio, he realised that the Colombians must have spotted them moving up on the warehouse. They’d got each entrance covered with at least one man with an automatic weapon and each of his breaching teams were taking casualties. The raid had suddenly taken on the aspects of a battle. However, Hill knew he could win a battle; his men had the weapons, equipment and training to win this firefight. The Columbians were playing into his hands by standing and fighting.

Then he got his first piece of good news, one of his breaching teams had gained entry into the building. Knowing to reinforce success, Hill ordered his reserve teams to reinforce the men inside the warehouse, while the others still outside were to increase their volume of fire to keep the Columbians occupied. As the firing reached a crescendo, Hill got the word that he now had half-a-dozen men inside the warehouse and the Columbians were falling back. Leading his command team through the door, Hill saw his downed officers lying on the ground. He didn’t need to tell anyone to get them to safety that was done automatically by the men who followed him into the building.

“Captain!” Blake called from behind Hill.

“What?” Hill took cover behind a stack of crates as he tried to work out where the Columbians had gone.

“Charlie Team report that the Columbians have retreated upstairs into those offices,” Blake pointed upwards.

“Make sure all the exits are covered,” Hill ordered, “then we fire tear gas and follow it in.”

“Roger that,” Blake started to pass on the Captain’s instructions.

Before he’d finished issuing his orders the air was split by the sound of men’s screams and wild firing coming from the offices above. After ascertaining that it wasn’t his men firing and none of the fire was directed at the police, Hill peered over the top of the crates in front of him hoping to see what was happening.

“What the hell…?” he asked himself and the universe in general.

0=0=0=0


	3. Chapter 3

3.

**Jeffersonville Docks.**

Moving cautiously up the stairs, Captain Hill led his men towards the second floor office area. There hadn’t been any sound from the Colombians for several minutes and although he’d been told to wait for some special federal unit to turn up, Hill had to know what was going down. For all he knew this could all be some clever trick by the Colombians to get away and he wasn’t going to sit around with his thumb up his ass while they made their escape across the rooftops or something.

Coming to the door to the offices, Hill flattened himself against the wall. Sergeant Blake took up position opposite him as other team members took up position on the stairs ready to follow the Captain in. Two Swat officers came up the stairs carrying a battering ram, at a signal from Hill the two men swung the ram and smashed open the door. Moving with practiced efficiency, Hill and Blake burst through the smashed in door only to be brought up short by the sight that greeted their eyes.

“Christ almighty!” gasped Hill as his men rushed into the room behind him, recovering quickly from the shock of seeing all the butchery around him, Hill started to bark orders. “Secure the area, no one gets in or out without my say so.” he turned to Blake, “Get CSU down here fast and get hold of Assistant Commissioner Beauregard he’ll want to know about this.”

Turning away from Blake, Captain Hill pulled off his goggles and helmet, pushing back his fire retardant hood and ran his fingers through his short grey hair. 

“What the hell happened here?” he asked himself.

It was a large room maybe thirty feet to a side with no ceiling just glass skylights in the roof above. Hanging from the steel beams that held up the roof were the bodies of seven Colombian foot-soldiers, they’d all had their heads cut off. Dragging his eyes away from the bloody corpses, Hill looked around the room. Lying in the great pools of rapidly congealing blood were a multitude of spent cartridge cases. Piles of crates were everywhere; Hill looked into one that was open. His eyes where greeted by the sight of half a dozen brand new M16’s. Looking around him he saw other military grade weapons and boxes of ammunition. Not only had the Colombians been trading in drugs they also appeared to have had a thriving illegal arms business going on as well.

“Captain,” Sergeant Blake appeared next to Hill, “CSU and back up are on the way, Commissioner Beauregard will be here as soon as possible and,” Blake hesitated for a moment before adding, “you might wanna look at this.”

“What is it Blake?” Hill followed his sergeant over to where the bodies hung like a bloody bunch of grapes from the beam above.

“Look at this Sir,” Blake pointed to puncture wounds on the Colombian’s bodies, “these men weren’t shot they were stabbed with some sort of blade.” Blake watched his Captain for any reaction, “Only then does it look like they were hung up and their heads removed.”

“So what you’re telling me is,” Captain Hill sighed wearily, “one or more Ninjas got in here without us seeing them. Stabbed seven heavily armed, alert Colombian foot-soldiers; strung ‘em up, cut off their heads and then left all in the space of what, less than five minutes?”

“Sounds about right Captain,” Blake nodded his head.

“And they did all this while we had the place sewn up tight?” Hill asked.

“Looks like,” again Blake nodded his head.

“The press are going to have a field day with this,” Hill sighed.

There was a disturbance over by the door as a man in a smart, light grey suit tried to bull his way past the Swat officer on the door.

“Special Agent Peter Keyes,” called the man as he pushed his way through the door, he held up a badge as he made his way towards Hill, “DEA, you were told to hold back Captain!”

“Who the hell…?” Hill began; he’d had a bad day and it wasn’t going to be improved by having Feds throw their weight around.

“Well never mind that,” Keyes’ tone changed to a more placatory one, “that can’t be helped now,” he smiled at the Swat Captain, “But I’m going to have to insist that you and your men leave, right now; this is a Federal crime scene.”

“No way,” Captain Hill snapped back, “this was our operation and Jeffersonville PD will deal with it.”

“Sorry,” Keyes smiled insincerely as two very large and fit young men loomed up behind the DEA agent, “but this is part of a Federal investigation we have prior jurisdiction.”

Looking at the two men backing up Keyes’ words, Captain Hill’s eyes narrowed. The two guys behind Keyes might as well have had ‘Green Berets’ printed across their foreheads; they were so obviously Special Forces. The next question that popped into his head was; what was the DEA doing going around backed up by Special Forces guys? Deciding he didn’t want to know, Hill ordered his men to pack up and leave. This sort of thing was well above his level, he’d leave it for Assistant Commissioner Beauregard to clear up this mess.

“Okay men,” Hill ordered, “let’s get outta here and leave this to the Feds.”

“Your assistance is greatly appreciated, Captain,” Keyes grinned as he watched the local Swat team leave; turning to one of the young fit men behind him he started to get things organised, “Garber, lets get set up. I expect our guest is long gone but who knows, we might find something new.” The younger man started to turn away but was called back by Keyes. “Oh, and Garber,” Keyes gestured to the bodies hanging from the beam, “get those things down and out of here, would you?”

0=0=0=0

**David E. Twiggs Junior High.**

Standing alone in what had been the Principal’s office, Willow massaged her temples in an attempt to forestall the almighty headache that was building at the back of her head. Looking down at the map of Jeffersonville and Norfolk that was spread out on the desk before her, she frowned. Nothing seemed to be making sense, unless…

“Hi Willow, how’s it going?” Riley stood in the doorway letting in the sound of the generators that powered the flood lights outside.

“Not so good,” Willow replied tiredly as she sat down in the Principal’s chair; for just a moment she almost found herself jumping back onto her feet, sitting in the principal’s chair couldn’t be allowed, could it? But then she remembered why she was here.

“What’s wrong?” Riley closed the door behind him and walked over to the desk and looked down at Willow’s map.

“Nothing seems to make any sense,” Willow complained, “that thing outside,” she gestured in the direction of the alien craft, “it’s still making my magic go all ker-fooie!”

“Don’t panic about it,” Riley told her, “the engineers are clearing the site and it should be all clear by tomorrow morning.”

Army Engineers with heavy lifting equipment and low loaders had arrived late in the afternoon along with a full company of Rangers and the rest of Riley’s men. The Rangers had sewn up the crash site tighter than a drum while the engineers had moved in to remove all traces of the alien craft. Riley’s men had conducted a search of the crash site and surrounding area but had not turned up any sign of the alien crew.

“So,” Riley placed his hands on the desk and leaned towards Willow, “what have you found so far?”

“Not much,” Willow sighed miserably, before changing the subject, “so, sit down and take the weight off your leg,” Willow grinned, “I have strict instructions from Buffy to make sure you aren’t overdoing things.”

Giving Willow a resigned look, Riley pulled up a chair and sat down with a relieved sigh, he tapped the map before looking at Willow expectantly.

“Okay,” Willow began, “there’s only one of these things right?”

“As far as we know,” agreed Riley, “they’ve always hunted individually before.”

“So, either,” Willow paused, she really didn’t like what she was going to suggest, “it can move around really quickly, or…”

“Or?” Riley prompted.

“There’s more than one,” Willow informed him.

“How many?” Riley wanted to know.

“Not sure,” Willow sighed, “but it’s more than one and less than ten…”

“Crap!” Riley cursed as he wondered where he was going to get reinforcements.

“When you’ve got that thing,” again Willow gestured towards the spacecraft, “outta here I’ll be able to give you numbers and possibly locations, until then its like trying to work with my head stuffed full of cotton wool.”

“One of these things is bad enough,” Riley pointed out, “up to ten might be unstoppable.”

“Look,” Willow looked at Riley earnestly, “when I’m back to firing on all cylinders I should be able to whip up some stuff to help you guys out.”

“Like?” Riley asked hopefully.

“Right,” Willow sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers, “these things see by heat, right?”

“So all the evidence appears to suggest,” Riley agreed.

“Good,” Willow gave a genuine smile, “then I could make some charms or something so your guys will show up as room temperature. To the aliens they’ll be invisible.”

“That’d be a big help,” Riley gave her a grateful smile; because of their visibility cloak or whatever these aliens had they could run amok through a city, there would be little the forces of humanity could do to stop them.

“I could also ask Buffy to send in some slayers to help out,” Willow suggested.

For a moment Riley just sat and thought about this offer, after only a few seconds he came to a decision.

“No,” Riley shook his head, “no thanks.” In the time it had taken to say those three words his mind had been racing and he’d come up with a better idea, or at least one that was just as good.

“Why Riley?” Willow almost whined, “I’d have thought you’d want all the help you could get.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Riley said slowly, “and I’ll keep the offer in mind but I’d rather keep the operation all military for now and hey,” Riley grinned at the witch, “slayers aren’t exactly team players. I don’t want half a dozen, super-strong, hyper active teenage girls bouncing around the city getting shot at by the local PD.”

“Oh,” Willow frowned and thought about what Riley had said; put like that and from Riley’s perspective she could see what he meant.

“But you did jog my memory,” Riley replied with a slow smile.

“I did?” Willow asked suspiciously.

“Faith Lehane,” Riley replied.

“FAITH LEHANE!?” Willow shrieked, “You mean, rabid-killer-murdering-bitch-Faith-Lehane?”

“No I mean, brave, decorated, loyal, Staff Sergeant Lehane,” Riley said calmly.

“Sorry,” Willow replied in a more normal tone, “its just that I get the two mixed up, y’know?”

“Look,” Riley began to explain, “its perfect; Faith is a slayer right?” Willow nodded her head slowly, “She’s already in the army so she knows how to follow orders and she’s a team player.”

“So what are you gonna tell her?” Willow asked as she started to think the idea over, “Didn’t you and Buffy decide she wasn’t to be bothered with normal slayer stuff and little things like her _past_?”

“Not a problem,” Riley stood up and walked over to a percolator and poured Willow and himself a cup of coffee; he started to explain as he placed the plastic cup in front of Willow. “I’ve been thinking, from what I’ve heard she half believes that she’s part of some government experiment to make a super-soldier.” Riley paused to let this information sink in, “We just play on this, I can come up with a plausible back story, it’ll be simple.”

“You think she’ll swallow that?” Willow sipped her coffee.

“Why not?” Riley shrugged, “Like I say, she half believes it already, in a way I suspect she’ll be grateful to have her suspicions confirmed.”

“So, where is she now?” Willow yawned despite the coffee.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Riley smirked, “she’s at Fort Shaw less than twenty miles away, in fact she was at the crash site earlier this morning.”

“She was!?” Willow sat up and spilt her coffee, “Oh damn!” she said wiping hot coffee off her hand, “That musta been why I picked up a slayer.”

“Right,” Riley agreed, “I can have her transferred to my command temporarily by tomorrow morning.”

“How?” Willow wanted to know.

“I just get my boss to talk to her boss,” Riley’s smirk got wider still.

“Clever,” Willow tried to stifle a yawn but failed.

“Hey, you look beat,” Riley looked concerned.

“Yeah,” Willow agreed sleepily, “jet lag and that space ship thing messing with me.”

“You better get some sleep,” Riley pointed out, “we’ve taken over the motel down the road aways. I’ll get a couple of my men to drive you down there and get you fixed up with a room.”

“Oh great,” Willow smiled gratefully, “an army escort to bed, if I wasn’t gay and you weren’t married to my best friend I’d kiss you!”

“Hey,” Riley smiled as he stood up slowly, “its all part of the service, think of it as your tax-dollars in action.”

0=0=0=0

In the parking lot of a nearby supermarket, a man sat astride a large motorcycle, dressed in black motorcycle leathers with a black helmet and a tinted visor; he looked like some evil, alien, space warrior. He’d watched the army activity around the ruined school with interest. Questions came to his mind, like; why was the army so interested in an aircraft crash and why had they called in help from the Council of Watchers? The sight of Willow Rosenberg earlier in the day had caused all his magical wards to go off at once. At first he’d thought that the so-called ‘Reformed Watcher’s Council’ were on to him. But then as he’d seen who they’d sent and that fact that Miss Rosenberg appeared to be working with the army other reasons for her presence came to his mind.

Such as; what had the army been transporting in that aircraft? Had they been experimenting with demons again like the old Human Resources Initiative? Had the demons escaped causing the plane to crash and they’d called in the ‘Red-Witch’ to help recapture them? All these questions went through his mind like some unanswerable ticker-tape. He needed more information before he made his move. He wouldn’t be able to make any progress on his main mission until the little witch and her army friends had gone. Seeing movement in the school parking lot, he reached for his binoculars that rested in a bag slung across the bike’s fuel tank. Putting them to his eyes he remembered he still had his visor down.

“Oh, damn it!” He cursed as he fumbled to open his visor with a gloved hand; losing his balance he felt the bike start to topple over under him, “Oh, craaaaap!”

Landing heavily on the surface of the parking lot, Wesley struggled to free his leg from underneath his motorbike.

“Damn-it! Damn-it! Damn-it!” he cursed as he fought to get his leg free and petrol leaked slowly from the fuel cap onto his leg.

Crawling out from under the bike, Wesley climbed to his feet just in time to see Willow Rosenberg get into an Army vehicle and be driven out of the school and onto the main road. Struggling to right his bike, Wesley dropped his binoculars and heard one of the lenses break as it hit the ground.

“Damn-it-all!” Wesley cried as he strained to pick up his bike and watched as the army jeep’s tail lights disappeared into the night. “Ooooooh…” words failed him for a moment, “…bother!”

Taking off his gloves he threw them on the ground in disgust and pulled off his helmet; life, he decided just wasn’t fair! Up until a few months ago he’d thought he’d been a well-respected and experienced Watcher. That was until Faith Lehane had turned up on the Marine base near where he was living and training the local slayer. Of course once he’d realised who she was he’d called Rupert Giles only to be told that he wasn’t to approach Lehane under any circumstances. In fact he’d been told that if he did he’d be the one that would be in serious trouble.

He couldn’t understand what was going on; this was Faith Lehane they were talking about, the infamous rabid-rogue-slayer who’d killed at least two people in cold blood. She’d even tried to kill Buffy Summers, who was now giving the orders that Faith Lehane was to be left well alone! Add all this to the fact that this Lehane woman now seemed to be working with the US Army, with the help of Buffy’s own husband, Major Riley Finn. To Wesley it all looked very fishy and underhand, obviously the US Government had gone back to its old ways of experimenting on demons only this time they’d convinced Mrs Buffy Anne Finn to play along. It soon became plain to Wesley that only he could save the Watchers Council from itself and bring Lehane to justice.

He would have succeeded too if it hadn’t been for the interference of his annoying slayer. A sullen, disrespectful, coloured girl from Chicago called Rona. Once she’d discovered what he’d planned to do, she’d chained him up and locked him in a cabin in the swamps for a couple of weeks. Only letting him out once Lehane had moved on, she’d also informed on him to Rupert Giles. Once Rona had let him out of his prison he’d been confronted by Willow Rosenberg and her slayer bodyguards; they’d informed him that his services were no longer required by the council and they were there to retrieve all magical items and anything pertaining to the existence of the Council.

Stripped of all his reference works, weapons and magic items, Wesley had found himself thrown out on the street by these ungrateful women with nothing but his private income to fall back on. He’d thought better of Rupert Giles, but when he’d tried to contact him, Wesley had found Rupert’s number unobtainable as he had with all his other contacts in the Council. For the first time in his life he’d found himself cut off from the council and everyone he’d known.

It had taken a couple of months to rebuild his life and track Lehane to her latest lair. He’d watched as she’d gone about her daily business. Seemingly working as a Military Police woman at Fort Shaw; but he also saw the other side of her. He’d followed her as she went out on her lone nocturnal patrols; he’d seen her slay vampires and demons, he’d seen her rescue people from the very jaws of death. But, he knew that this was all part of some clever trick, either by Lehane or the Council that served their own plans. He didn’t know what was going on, but he’d find out and when he did, Lehane was going to pay for her crimes!

0=0=0=0


	4. Chapter 4

4.

**The Adams Motel, Jeffersonville, Tuesday morning.**

Not long after coming on duty, Faith had been told by her platoon leader to go and see Captain Horne in the company office. Wondering what was going on she left her squad to get on with their ambush drills and went to see her C/O. Arriving at the Captain’s office she was immediately told to make her way to the Adams Motel near the crash site, as she was being temporarily transferred to Major Finn’s command. When Faith had asked her C/O what was going on he’d simply shrugged and claimed ignorance.

Getting a lift down to the motel, Faith found herself dumped in the parking lot. Looking around she saw about a platoons worth of Rangers busily unloading equipment from the backs of trucks and Hummers. Standing around and looking lost, she wondered where she was supposed to report. Eventually she was approached by a Ranger corporal who asked her if she was Sergeant Lehane. When she replied in the affirmative, the corporal led her over to one of the motel rooms and knocked on the door. At a call from inside he opened the door and gestured for Faith to go inside.

The motel room had been converted into an office; the beds had been pushed up against the wall and the space that had been freed up had been filled by a couple of army issue desks. There were maps of Jeffersonville pinned to the walls and a military radio sat on a table in one corner. Opposite the radio was a TV showing the CNN news channel with the sound muted. Behind one of the desks sat Major Riley Finn, Faith immediately felt on edge about the Major being there, as she and Brenda Mitchell so often said, strange things happened around Major Finn. Sitting quietly to one side of the Major’s desk was a cute, slim, redhead who’d smiled hesitantly at Faith as she’d come in. Coming smartly to attention, Faith saluted the major who returned her salute.

“Staff Sergeant Lehane, reporting as ordered, Sir!” Faith announced hoping that Major Finn would tell her what was going on.

“Good morning Sergeant,” Riley looked up at Faith and smiled, “relax, pull up a chair and sit down.”

“Thank-you sir,” Faith frowned as she looked around for a spare chair, seeing one in a corner she pulled it over and sat down stiffly in front the officer.

“It’s alright sergeant you’re not in trouble,” Riley reassured her, “in fact quite the opposite.”

“Sir?” Faith didn’t like this, when senior officers started acting friendly it was a sure sign that they wanted you to do something really dangerous.

“First of all, introductions,” Riley gestured to Willow, “this is Ms Rosenberg; she’s a civilian consultant helping us out with our present mission.”

“Good morning ma’am,” Faith turned her head slightly and nodded to the woman; she greeted the woman politely thinking how out of place she looked in the slightly too large fatigues she was wearing.

“Hi,” Willow resisted the urge to wave as she spoke; she’d not met the ‘new’ Faith Lehane up close like this, she’d only seen photos.

In fact it was Willow seeing a photograph of Faith in a newspaper that had alerted everyone to Faith’s existence and like everyone else (apart from Riley) she’d thought that Faith had been part of some evil military plan not dissimilar from that of the Initiative. However, as time had passed and she’d heard how Faith had rescued Riley from the desert and how she’d fought to save him and her friends against hellhounds and Iraqi insurgents; her attitude had slowly changed. True she still felt a little uncomfortable around the smartly dressed young woman, but she could feel that the only thing that was going on in Faith’s mind just at the moment were feelings of suspicion and uncertainty. Uncertainty as to why she’d been told to come here and suspicion that when she found out, she wasn’t going to like it. 

“Sergeant Lehane,” Riley leaned forward across his desk and looked Faith in the eye, “our paths seem to be fated to cross,” he smiled, “first in Iraq and again at Camp Lejeune.”

Riley didn’t mention that his team had been involved in trying to track down the creature that had kidnapped Faith and held her prisoner in an old navy ammo bunker near Norfolk before Christmas.

“Sir,” Faith agreed non-committally, all the while wishing that Major Finn would get to the point.

“In fact,” Riley glanced at Willow, he was about to start the cover story that they’d worked out the previous evening. “Our connection goes back even further than that,” Riley smiled conspiratorially, he could tell by the look in Faith’s eyes that he had her hooked, “to before you even joined the army.”

‘Oh, god!’ Faith thought, apart from a few weeks spent wandering aimlessly around LA, prior to enlisting in the army there was no Faith Lehane.

“Does the name, Professor Maggie Walsh mean anything to you?” Riley asked slowly.

0=0=0=0

Standing in the motel parking lot a little later, Faith lit the cigarette she’d bummed off the motel receptionist and drew the smoke deeply into her lungs; she coughed a little as she felt the smoke start to calm her. So, it was all true, everything she’d suspected about her past was real and not some crazy fantasy. She was, in fact, the product of a weird science experiment run by some mad professor who’d cut her loose when her experiment didn’t turn out right. Apparently Faith’d shown way too much free will for this Walsh bitch’s liking. After realising that she couldn’t alter Faith’s brain to fit in with what she wanted she’d scrubbed her memory and kicked her out of the lab to fend for herself. Of course this didn’t explain everything; why hadn’t this Walsh woman just had her killed, where did the weird dreams about the Mayor of Sunnydale and the blonde woman with the knife come from? Neither did it explain where the two detectives had come from and why’d they given her the money and other stuff she’d needed to pass herself off as normal?

“Hi,” the voice came from behind Faith and she turned to see Willow standing just a couple of feet away.

“Ma’am,” Faith replied all the time wondering who this woman really was and what did she do for the army?

“I expect you’re feeling like some sorta freak right about now,” Willow asked softly.

“HA!” Faith barked, “Ya wouldn’t believe…”

“Oh I do,” Willow explained, “believe me I do, but I expect you’re confused and upset too.”

“Yeah, well,” Faith sighed heavily as she dropped her cigarette and stamped it out with her boot heel, “it’s not everyday you find out you’re a science experiment gone wrong.”

“You’re not a freak,” Willow told Faith firmly; Faith looked back at her disbelievingly, “you’re a brave woman who chose to serve her country, no one forced you to do that. No one can make you be loyal to your friends. You’re the woman you are because of you…”

“And the superpowers?” Faith raised an eyebrow; she knew what this woman was trying to do, Faith even felt grateful to her for trying to do it, but…

“Yeah, well there’s those as well,” Willow admitted, “and maybe Maggie Walsh made you want to be a soldier, just a little but…” Willow struggled for the right lies, “…but, most of it’s you, chances are if you’d never come into contact with Maggie Walsh you’d be like you are now.”

Well, that wasn’t quite true of course, if whatever had happened to Faith hadn’t, the chances were she’d be dead, still in a coma or in prison right now. Soldier-Faith was a massive improvement on rogue-slayer-Faith and Willow found that she was beginning to be attracted to her.

“Did you know this Professor Walsh, ma’am?” Faith asked.

“Yeah,” Willow admitted, “I even admired her for a while…”

“Say what?” Faith glared at Willow for a moment before relaxing again.

“Like, that was before I totally knew what she was doing to Riley and people like you,” Willow explained hurriedly, she was amazed how easily the lies came to her lips.

“Hey,” Faith gave Willow a small grin, “sorry for snapping like that, I didn’t mean it…”

“No,” Willow shook her head, “I think you did and I don’t blame you. It took a lot of people a long time to realise all the stuff that Maggie Walsh was into.”

“So…” Faith started to pull herself together, she’d really like to go out with her buddies and get drunk or maybe talk to a priest or someone right now, but that looked as if it was going to have to wait, “…space monsters, what’s that all about?”

0=0=0=0

**Jeffersonville Docks.**

Sitting in the back of the command trailer, Agent Keyes looked up at the monitors and admitted to himself that the alien was probably not going to come back to the warehouse. His bosses back at the NID had been really pissed that the local cops had blown their operation, but it couldn’t be helped. There’d been no chance of catching the alien at the warehouse anyway. The problem was that there was no way of knowing where the alien was going to strike next and until they could find out where the alien had its base or they could predict where it would attack, they’d just be playing catch-up.

They’d found out nothing new at the warehouse crime scene, it hadn’t even mattered that the local cops had trampled over everything before his team had arrived. What he and his team had documented had matched perfectly with the incident in Central America and the one in Los Angeles. The alien only attacked armed opponents, unarmed people and pregnant women (whether they were armed or not) were safe. Obviously the alien didn’t think it was ‘sporting’ to kill unarmed ‘prey’ and it wouldn’t attack children or pregnant women because it would want something to hunt in the future.

It preferred to use bladed weapons whenever it could, but it also had a verity of ranged weapons including what appeared to be some sort of plasma gun. Then there was the invisibility cloak; this made the alien impossible to see at night time and you had to be very lucky to see it during even bright sunlight. It did however have a weakness. Water, even a light shower seemed to short out whatever it was that made the cloak work. Smiling to himself Keyes shook his head, when they captured one of these things and the guys back at Area Fifty-one reversed engineered it the first modification they would make would be to make it waterproof!

However, that was all for the future, first they had to catch their alien. Frowning, Keyes rested his chin on his fist. So far they’d had no luck working out where the alien was hold up. True the alien had only been around for less than twenty-four hours, it’d been pure luck that his team had been in the area. They really needed to track this creature down before the local authorities started to get suspicious and question the DEA over what he and his men were doing. Of course shortly after that happened Keyes’ team’s hastily put in place cover story would collapse and the crap would really hit the fan.

No, they needed to find this thing and find it soon, but he’d no idea where to start looking. Just then a new thought came to Keyes’ mind; if they couldn’t find out where the alien was hold up, there was nothing in the rule book that said they couldn’t get it to come to them. Sitting up Keyes let the smile that had been building up inside him spread across his face. He didn’t know why he’d not thought of it before, what was to stop him ambushing the alien the next time it attacked. Nothing, came the answer, other than he didn’t know where the alien would strike next. But what if he did, what if he could ‘sucker’ the alien into a trap?

The alien appeared to be drawn to violence, maybe it had some sixth sense that let it know where the next outburst would happen. What if they could arrange a violent act somewhere that the local cops would have to respond to? With the cops on scene there’d be even more targets for the alien to hunt and while it was distracted he and his team could move in, zap it with their freeze guns, grab it and be long gone before the smoke had even started to clear.

For a moment Keyes frowned, what about the civilians and cops that would get caught in the cross fire? Sighing, Keyes shook his head in sorrow; that would be just too bad, it couldn’t be helped. After all the technological advances they’d make would save the lives of millions. There were much worse things out there in the galaxy than a few alien hunters who at least played to an understandable set of rules. If they could capture alien weapons and technology it would give the US military a massive edge over anyone else on the planet and any alien foolish enough to attack Earth. Set against that the lives of a few civilians and local cops were nothing; after all you couldn’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.

0=0=0=0

**The Adams Motel, Jeffersonville, late Tuesday afternoon.**

“Riley!” Willow called her voice edged with fear and worry, “You better come look at this!”

Standing over the map spread out on Riley’s desk, Willow stared at the little lights that twinkled innocently in what looked like an industrial area of the city. Now that the army engineers had removed the last of the alien wreckage, Willow’s magic was again firing on all cylinders. She had theorised to Riley that there was something about the alien craft’s engines that appeared to wrap and distort her powers making it almost impossible for her to cast even the simplest of spells. When she’d felt the influence of the alien craft fade and finally vanish she’d cast a locator spell. It was urgent that Riley and his men find the alien and kill it before it caused havoc all over the city.

“What’s wrong?” Riley came to stand next to Willow as he studied the map, “Oh!” he didn’t need to wait for Willow to answer him, he could see just how bad it was, “that’s bad…that’s real bad.”

“Yeah,” Willow nodded her head in agreement, “there must be half a dozen of them all down in this area.” Willow pointed to the little group of lights, “Have you enough troops to take them on all at once?”

“Simple answer,” Riley shook his head slowly, “even with Faith, no.”

“What about calling in more slayers?” Willow asked.

“Much as I respect slayers and their abilities they don’t play well with other agencies,” Riley explained, “and I’m still against the idea.”

“Okay,” Willow said slowly, “how about if I called Giles and get him to get a dozen of the older girls on standby, just in case?”

“Right,” Riley nodded his head emphatically, “do that, but first what about these do-dads you were going to make for us.”

“Done and in that box,” Willow pointed to a large cardboard box sitting on a chair, “there’s enough for every man in your unit.”

Looking into the cardboard box, Riley found it full of small black plastic boxes. He smiled, not only was Willow a powerful witch she was also a student of human nature. Each box contained the charm that would make the wearer appear to be at room temperature and thus invisible to the alien. Riley knew full well that had he given his men a charm to wear, half of them wouldn’t have bothered with them and would leave them behind. But if he could tell them it was some new scrambler device that would mess with the alien’s fire control, his men would wear them eagerly. Which was why Willow had put them in the plastic boxes so they’d look like a piece of experimental army equipment.

“I’ll get these handed out,” Riley picked up the box and headed for the door, “if we move quickly we might be able to catch them before they disperse.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have enough troops!” Willow turned to follow Riley out the door.

“I don’t,” Riley admitted, “but I’ve got to try and stop those things.”

“Okay,” Willow could understand Riley’s feelings, “but you’re not going anywhere without me to back you up.”

“But…” Riley took a deep breath so he could explain why that would be a bad idea.

“No arguments,” Willow picked up her cap and placed it on her head, “Buffy would kill me if you got hurt and I’d get a little cranky myself if you where injured or something. Plus…” once again Willow prevented Riley from saying anything, “…you’ll need me along to keep an eye on them if they move.”

“Okay,” Riley gave up without much of a fight, everything Willow said was true; he’d feel happier about going up against these creatures with a powerful witch to back him up if it came to a fight, “you’ve made your point…”

“I have?” Willow replied slightly bewildered that it had been so easy.

“Yeah,” Riley opened the door to the room, “lets move!”

0=0=0=0

After the revelations of the morning, Faith had been left alone to get her head around everything she’d been told. Eventually she’d come out of shock, after all hadn’t she suspected most of what Major Finn and Ms Rosenberg had told her? Hadn’t they only confirmed her own suspicions? Now that she knew something of her past shouldn’t she be feeling relieved more than anxious? Well, yes but that didn’t really help; she’d really like to talk to someone, maybe that Ms Rosenberg, she’d seemed sympathetic and understanding, she obviously had the clearance to talk about these things with her.

But now there was a job to do, an alien menace was threatening the people she’d sworn to protect; which made it all sound like some cheesy, 1950’s, sci-fi, ‘B’ movie. Okay, she told herself, she could deal with her own problems another time, there was an alien monster to kill. People were relying on her and her spooky superpowers to help. After she’d taken a meal break at about lunch time the Ranger company Sergeant-Major had assigned her to a squad commanded by a Staff Sergeant Ramirez. He’d immediately taken her over to the Company quartermaster’s truck where she’d been issued a rifle, ammo, grenades, body armour, night vision aids (that she really didn’t need) and a host of other pieces of equipment that she’d not had to bother with since Iraq.

“Sergeant-Major tells me you’ve seen some action,” Ramirez asked as he helped Faith load up spare magazines.

“Iraq, mostly,” Faith admitted, “That’s were I met your Major Finn.”

“Hey!” Ramirez stopped loading magazines for a moment and looked at Faith with new found respect, “You’re _that_ Staff Sergeant Lehane?”

“Guilty as charged,” Faith admitted.

“Don’t know whether I should shoot you or shake your hand, Lehane,” Ramirez grinned.

“Tough is he?” Faith asked.

“As nails,” Ramirez nodded his head and went back to loading magazines.

“Yeah that’s what I thought when he tried to get me an’ my buddies to leave him behind,” Faith slipped a loaded magazine into a pouch.

“Yeah, that sounds like the Major,” Ramirez handed her the final magazine, “you okay with all that gear?”

“Not a problem,” Faith jumped up and down a couple of times just to settle her gear more firmly in place.

“Okay,” Ramirez shrugged before turning to see Major Finn leave his office followed by the ‘consultant’ woman, “Major don’t look too happy.”

“Yeah,” Faith agreed with a sigh, “I bet something weird’s about to happen.”

0=0=0=0


	5. Chapter 5

5.

**The Adams Motel, Jeffersonville, Tuesday Night.**

“MOUNT UP!” Riley yelled as he strode from the motel room; as he walked he closed up the front of his body armour and placed his helmet on his head.

“Riley, hold up!” Willow stumbled after him as she attempted to keep up with the fast moving Major while folding the map she was carrying to a manageable size.

Stopping abruptly, Riley turned to looked down at the harassed witch, “Wait here,” he ordered before striding off into the organised chaos that was his Ranger unit.

“Sergeant Lehane!” Riley called, only moments later Faith appeared out of the milling crowd of troops and slid to a halt in front of Riley.

“Sir!” Unlike the Major, Faith had already put on her body armour, helmet and the rest of her gear; she held her rifle loosely in her hands and looked about ready to take on anything.

“You’ll be riding with me tonight,” Riley informed her as they started to move towards his Humvee, “for the time being I want you to look-out for Ms Rosenberg, make sure she’s safe, okay?”

“On it, Sir,” Faith nodded as she wondered why the civilian consultant was going with them in the first place.

“Riley!” There was a definite undertone of panic in Willow’s voice as she spread her map out across the hood of Riley’s Hummer.

“What’s up?” Riley walked quickly over to where Willow was standing with Faith close behind him.

“They’re moving,” Willow pointed to the map.

Trying to see around Major Finn’s body, Faith caught a glimpse of the map. At first she thought it looked like a normal army issue map, until she saw the little moving lights crawling across the paper. How the hell did they do that? As far as she could see the map wasn’t connected to some clever little box of tricks, there wasn’t anything projecting the lights onto the surface of the map. There was nothing to explain why the little orange points of light should be moving across the map. Shrugging her shoulders in resignation, Faith thought this must be some new hi-tech super secret stuff that the army was testing.

“Where are they heading?” Riley wanted to know.

“Difficult to say,” Willow replied uncertainly, “they split up as soon as they left the area they were using as a base.”

“Damn it!” Riley hit the hood of the Hummer with his fist the sound making Willow jump a little.

He didn’t have enough men to go after each alien and have any hope of success and anyway he only had one Willow Rosenberg to track them with. No, Riley shook his head, he’d keep his force together and go after them one at a time. That way he stood a better than even chance of finding, cornering and killing at least one of the aliens.

“Which is the closest?” Riley asked as he bent to look at the map.

“They’re all moving pretty quickly Riley but this one,” Willow tapped the map with her finger, “seems to be heading for the centre of town.”

“Okay,” Riley nodded his head as if answering some internal question, “we’ll go after that one.”

Helping Willow fold up her map again, Faith listened as Major Finn issued orders over his radio. When everything seemed set, Faith climbed into the back of the Humvee next to Willow. Holding her M4 between her legs she helped Willow strap herself in before doing so herself, Faith was thinking this was likely to be a pretty wild ride.

“Okay, Corporal Walker,” Riley turned to look at his driver, “head towards Jefferson Tower, fast as you like.”

“On it, Sir!” Walker replied with a grin; putting the Hummer into gear he mashed down on the accelerator and the Humvee shot from the parking lot to the accompaniment protesting tyres.

0=0=0=0

**Jefferson Tower, Central Jeffersonville.**

Pounding on the glass door of the office block, police Lieutenant Mike Harrigan watched impatiently as the security officer got up slowly from his desk and sauntered across the lobby. He stopped and grinned insolently through the glass at Harrigan.

“What d’y’want?” he called.

“JCPD!” Harrigan replied as he flashed his badge, “Open up!”

Reluctantly the guard produced a card-key and swiped it through the reader to the right of the door. The glass panel in front of Harrigan swished silently open.

“What…!?” the guard was pushed out of the way as Harrigan and his team bulled their way into the building.

“Lambert!” Harrigan pointed to the guard as Detective Jerry Lambert pushed the security officer away from the door while at the same time preventing him from returning to his desk.

“Danny,” Harrigan turned to the oldest of the three detectives with him, “check for surveillance.”

“Sure thing Boss,” Detective Archuleta crossed the lobby to the guard’s station and started to do things to the CCTV monitors.

“Leona,” Harrigan glanced at the last and by far the prettiest member of his team, “keys, elevator.”

“On it!” Leona Cantrell gave her boss a curt nod before walking over to the guard and searching him.

Standing in the middle of the lobby, Harrigan tried to fight down the anger and frustration that bubbled up in his chest like acid. Months of work looked as if it was going to be handed over to the Feds. Months of painstaking detective work that had cost him missed days off with his family and missed nights sleep, all looked as if it was going to be turned over to some secret DEA unit so they could claim the glory when they took down the Colombians.

Smiling, Harrigan watched as Leona walked back towards him and held up a bunch of card-keys as if they were a deck of playing cards. The Feds weren’t going to take credit for his team’s work, no sir! No Federal desk jockey was going to swan into his town and grab the credit for all the hard work and long hours that his people had put in. Particularly if one of the Colombian Cartels main players was already in JCPD’s hands. The Feds would have to come crawling to them and ask if they could borrow their suspect.

“Boss,” Archuleta called from over by the guard’s station, “everything’s locked up tight, no ones getting in or out without our say so.”

“Good,” Harrigan grinned to himself before turning to Lambert, “Cuff the guard make sure he can’t interfere or call anyone.”

“My pleasure,” having already removed the guard’s gun, radio and cellphone; Lambert cuffed him to a handy metal post, the guard would be going nowhere for quite some time.

“Okay people,” Harrigan started to move rapidly towards the elevators, “let’s move it!”

Going ahead of her boss Leona used one of the card-keys to open a lift and lock it off for their own use. Once everyone was aboard, she pushed the button for the penthouse suite.

0=0=0=0

After a rapid ascent to the thirty-fifth floor, the door of the elevator opened onto a smartly appointed lobby.

“Hey!” cried a voice as the four cops piled out of the elevator.

Punching the henchman in the stomach, Lambert watched him fall to his knees and start to retch. He held out his hand for a spare set of cuffs, Leona passed him hers and Lambert quickly and efficiently cuffed the man before relieving him of his gun and cellphone. Pocketing the spare weapon and the phone, Lambert jumped back to his feet and joined the other members of his team by the big door that led into the penthouse apartment.

Holding up his hand for quiet, Harriman listened at the door and smiled, oh, he was going to enjoy this. Holding up three fingers he did a silent countdown bursting through the door on the count of three. Rushing into the room with their pistols drawn, the team found themselves in a large room. It had huge plate glass windows on two sides and a big bed under one set of windows.

Bouncing up and down on top of the Colombian drug lord was a young fair haired prostitute, she screamed as she noticed the four people with guns burst into the room. Rushing forward, Leona grabbed the naked young woman by the arm and pulled her off the Colombian while still keeping her gun trained on the man in the bed.

“CUFF HIM!” Harrigan ordered.

Moving quickly, Lambert and Archuleta pulled the Colombian roughly from his bed, not even allowing him to put on any clothes. They threw him to the cold marble floor and pulled his hands behind his back before cuffing him.

“You’ll pay for this!” the Colombian mobster informed them calmly, “I’ll have you and your families killed for this!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lambert replied conversationally, “we’ve heard it all before and you know what?” Lambert paused for the space of a breath, “We’re still here.”

“Okay people,” Harrigan called getting everybody’s attention, “we’ve got maybe fifteen minutes before the Feds turn up and screw everything to hell. So, lets see what we can find.” Looking around, Harrigan started to hand out assignments. “Leona, question the girl see if she knows anything then get her outta here.” He turned to the two male detectives who were still standing over the prisoner, “Danny, Lambert you search the place, I’ll look after our friend.”

0=0=0=0

Moving quickly and quietly through the apartment, Lambert found himself in a small kitchen. Standing in the only door way he noted that there wasn’t a window and how the place looked as if it was hardly ever used.

“Probably orders in,” he told himself with a smile.

Moving fully into the room he noticed a closet door next to the shiny stainless steel sink, opening it cautiously he found it empty apart from some cleaning supplies obviously stored there by the housekeeping staff. Just as he was deciding that there was nothing of value in here, the Colombian probably didn’t even know the place existed; Lambert heard what sounded like something moving in the crawl space above his head. Looking up at the false ceiling he noticed a haze of dust particles start to float down through towards his upturned face. Stepping back towards the door he pointed his pistol at the ceiling, Lambert was just starting to take a breath so he could yell for back up when the ceiling tiles exploded and something dropped to the floor in front of him.

“What the hell!?” Lambert narrowed his eyes to prevent the plaster dust that had filled the air from blinding him, yet he couldn’t see what had caused the ceiling to collapse like that.

Frowning he swept his eyes over the wreckage, there was nothing there or so he thought. Noticing what he believed was movement; Lambert glanced to his right and was almost sure he saw a shape move towards him. Before he could call a warning to his team mates the point of a grotesquely shaped metal spear appeared out of nowhere and buried itself in his chest. Gasping for breath, Lambert fell to his knees as the blood flooded into his lungs and drowned him. His last conscious thought was to wonder where the spear that had killed him had disappeared to.

0=0=0=0

“What the hell?” Harrigan left off interrogating the prisoner when he heard the crash of the ceiling tiles collapsing in the kitchen; he called to his people, “Sound off!”

Only Leona and Danny replied, what the hell had happened to Lambert. Looking over to where Leona still stood over the prostitute as she pulled on her clothes, Harrigan called for Danny to leave off what he was doing and get into the main room.

“What’s going on, Bos…!” 

There was a loud *BANG! CRACK!* and Danny’s chest exploded like it was being burnt from the inside out. Catching a shadow of movement Harrigan lifted his automatic and fired off two quick shots.

“Did you get him?” Leona asked as she crouched behind a couch with the sobbing whore.

“I don’t know,” Harrigan remained standing and tried to look in all directions at the same time, “can you see anything?”

“No, man,” Leona looked over the top of the couch, she saw nothing at first, then she thought she saw something move in front of a potted palm, it sort of made the air shimmer, “THERE!” she yelled without thinking.

Pointing her weapon at where she thought their assailant was she fired off half a dozen rounds.

“What are you shooting at?” Harrigan demanded.

“THERE BY THE WINDOW!” Leona shifted her aim and fired, a sheet of glass exploded at the touch of her bullet.

“GET OUTTA HERE!” Harrigan yelled as he turned to fire at the ghost-like figure that moved swiftly around the room, “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?”

Dragging the prostitute behind her, Leona made her way towards the lobby and the lift while Harrigan covered her retreat. Pausing to reload, Harrigan started to back towards the lobby while still scanning the room with wide, frightened eyes. What the hell was going on? Had they walked in on some sort of gang war assassination? Or was this the work of the Feds? Stopping stock still, Harrigan realised that in all the excitement he’d forgotten their prisoner, he was still lying on the floor next to the bed. Realising that he couldn’t just leave the asshole behind, Harrigan retraced his steps and walked right into the fork-like knife that had appeared out of thin air right in his path.

Looking down at the sharp, silver prongs that had been thrust so effortlessly into his chest, Harrigan tried to bring his gun to bear on the spectre that towered over him. His detectives mind kept asking questions as his gun was knocked effortlessly out of his hand; what was this thing that had killed him so easily? Detective Lieutenant Harrigan would never know; the double blades of the gutting knife cut his heart in two before his mind even started to form answers to his questions.

0=0=0=0

After making sure that its prey was dead, the alien pulled its weapon from Harrigan’s chest and watched his lifeless body fall to the floor. There was still one prey left; the restrained male who cowered, terrified on the floor was none of his concern; it wasn’t his kill so he wouldn’t claim it. Anyway it was restrained and unarmed so it didn’t pose a threat to him. The armed female in the anteroom however was fair game and he would add her skull to his trophy collection.

0=0=0=0

Listening to the ominous silence, Detective Leona Cantrell slipped a fresh magazine into the butt of her automatic. Glancing down at the prostitute who was still sobbing hysterically by the door to the elevator, Leona turned her head back towards the apartment and gasped at what she saw. The room was in semi-darkness, a lot of the lights having been shot out. On the floor she could see the still smouldering body of Danny Archuleta, his chest a gaping hole of charred flesh and dried blood. For a moment Leona wondered what kind of weapon could do that sort of thing, nothing she knew of that was for sure. 

Pistol held out in front of her, Leona moved cautiously back into the room, sweeping her gun left to right she found herself looking down at the body of her boss over by the Colombian. Gagging slightly at what she saw, Leona realised that some how her boss had been gutted, she could smell the sewer stench of a ruptured bladder and bowel mixed with the sent of blood. Halting, she felt the panic start to rise in her chest and try to take over her body. What could she do alone against something that had killed her three friends? She needed back up, she needed to get out of here fast!

Turning Leona came face to chest with a creature from the very pit of hell; she screamed in terror as the towering monster reached out with one huge, claw tipped hand towards her. Some part of her horrified mind must have remembered the training that was so deeply implanted in her mind that it allowed her to function even when her brain was overloaded with impossible information. Dragging her weapon around as if she was moving through molasses, Leona fired at point-blank range into the creature’s chest. Still firing wildly, Leona Cantrell registered that she was being lifted off her feet just before her neck shaped and her pistol emptied.

0=0=0=0

“It’s moving again!” Willow called from the back seat of the Hummer.

“Where now?” Riley demanded as he turned in his seat to look at Willow.

“I-I think it’s heading back to its base,” Willow replied uncertainly.

All this time Faith had been sitting quietly by Willow’s side watching fascinated as the little specks of light had crawled across the surface of the map. Whatever was allowing them to track the aliens was some pretty cool tech; once again she wondered how it worked, there must be a fed to a drone or a satellite she told herself. As the army convoy had moved through Jeffersonville, the alien they were tracking had moved rapidly to a building in the business district of Jeffersonville called Jefferson Tower. It had stayed there for maybe five minutes before leaving the building, pausing on or in another building and then heading back the way it had come.

“Okay,” Riley began to explain his plan, “if its going home we can deploy in front of it and ambush it.”

As she listened to Major Finn start to issue orders over the radio to the rest of the convoy, Faith started to do a silent inventory of her weapons and gear. Satisfied that everything was where it was supposed to be she glanced at the woman beside her. The redhead was staring intently at the map in her hand and didn’t appear to notice Faith’s silent inspection. Sensing the woman’s fear rolling off her, Faith leant close to whisper in her ear. Smelling the woman’s warm scent, Faith hesitated for just a moment before speaking.

“Don’t worry, Ma’am,” Faith smiled into the woman’s green eyes as she turned to look at her, “you stick close to me an’ the Major an’ we’ll get you through this, okay?”

Much to her surprise, Faith saw a wide genuine smile spread across the red head’s face.

“Thanks,” Willow replied amused at the thought of the ‘terrible’ Faith Lehane trying to make her feel better about going into danger, “that’s very sweet of you.”

The Hummer swerved around a corner throwing, Willow into Faith, for a moment they stared into each others eyes at point blank range.

“Sorry,” Willow mumbled as she edged away from Faith and retrieved her map.

“Don’t be,” Faith whispered back.

Looking intently at her map so she wouldn’t have to look into Faith’s eyes, Willow wondered for a moment, was Faith Lehane coming on to her? From previous experience, Willow thought that Faith was heavily into guys, but then… But then she remembered all the flirting that had gone on between Buffy and Faith back in their Sunnydale days. Perhaps it wasn’t just flirting, maybe there’d been something more there.

Sitting back in her seat, Faith watched out the window, they appeared to have moved into a more industrial zone containing warehouses and small factories. Smiling to herself, Faith thought that if she was some sort of alien hunting beast this would be the area she’d set up base in. It looked as if they were going to stop and deploy any minute now, she could hear Major Finn calling out instructions and map references over the radio. Feeling the thing within her that made her what she was start to stir and force itself to the forefront of her mind she prepared herself for battle. As the Hummer slid to a halt, she turned to the cute redhead beside her and grinned at her.

“Ma’am,” Faith pushed open her door, “looks like its alien butt-kicking time!”

0=0=0=0


	6. Chapter 6

6.

**Jeffersonville, Westside, Tuesday Night.**

The Westside of Jeffersonville was actually the oldest part of the city, closest to Norfolk and its naval base it contained the now mostly disused railroad yards. Around the weed and garbage littered railroad tracks stood rundown warehouses and a little further out dilapidated housing and small stores. The area had long been marked down for redevelopment but until that day arrived it provided a haven for the poor, dispossessed and the things that preyed on them, both human and inhuman.

It was into this quarter of the city that Wesley rode his motorbike in his never ending hunt for the creatures of the night. For all his faults, Wesley was in fact an expert in his field, which was mainly research. However, since his unceremonious removal from the Reformed Watcher’s Council he’d been widening the scope of his activities to include actually hunting and killing the things that roamed the night. Using his vast knowledge of the unnatural, in the few months he’d been a free agent he’d amassed an impressive score of things killed or banished back to the nether regions.

The time he’d spent on the road had also given him a new appreciation of what a slayer’s life must be like and, although he was loath to admit it, he’d realised what a complete prig he’d been. He could now appreciate how Rona must have felt about him as he sent her out on her nightly hunts. He realised now how she must have felt after risking her life only to have him criticize her abilities while telling her that she could have done better. It must have made her really annoyed with him and eager to take revenge the first chance she got.

That chance had come when Major Riley Finn, US Army, had contacted Rona in a successful attempt to recruit her into his web of deceit to cover up the army’s use of the murderer, Faith Lehane. Yes, now he could see why Rona had taken such malicious joy in locking him up in that cabin in the swamps. But that didn’t alter the fact that Faith Lehane was still free and what was more she was working for the US Army on some, no doubt, nefarious scheme.

Bringing his bike to a halt by a broken down wooden fence, Wesley switched off the engine and dismounted. Opening the visor of his helmet he removed his glasses before removing his helmet. Replacing his glasses and able to both see and hear again the first thing he became aware of was the familiar sound of a fight coming from the far side of the fence. Quickly unlocking one of luggage boxes on the back of his bike, Wesley removed a crossbow pistol and a large cross; he already had a stake and a couple of bottles of holy water about his person.

Starting to move towards a gap in the fence he stopped almost immediately as his leather trousers started to squeak alarmingly. Cursing himself as a fool he promised himself to get rid of the noisy, gas soaked apparel the first chance he got. However, there appeared to be something more important than squeaky trousers on the other side of the fence and the chances were that someone might need his help.

Trying to ignore the noise that made it sound as if he was stepping on a squeaky toy every time he moved his left leg, Wesley climbed through the gap in the fence and found himself in the rail yard. In front of him were a line of old freight cars resting on rails that were heavily overgrown with weeds and grass. Pausing only to gauge the direction from which the sounds of battle were coming, Wesley moved on.

Walking rapidly through the jumble of grass, weeds and discarded kitchen appliances, Wesley made his way over to the freight cars. Pausing next to the closest car he listened to the meaty sound of blows striking flesh and bone. It was obvious to Wesley that the fight was just the other side of the fright cars, all he had to do was to find a way around the cars and intervene on the side of light. As it happened the car he was standing next to had its door open, looking inside he saw that the door on the opposite side was also open. All he had to do was climb into the car and jump out the other side.

Easier said than done, he discovered to his own embarrassment only a moment or two later. As he tried to swing his leg up onto the car so he could climb in, he discovered that his trousers didn’t give him enough freedom of movement to accomplish the task. Once again he cursed himself under his breath for being such a poser and buying the snug fitting leather trousers. Eventually heaving himself into the car he crawled, over to the other side of the car and stuck his head out into the open.

Looking to his left he saw a young woman, obviously a slayer, fighting no less than three vampires. Even as he watched the young woman broke the neck of one of the vampires reducing her odds to two to one. Wesley frowned as he watched her fighting technique, why wasn’t she using a stake? In the short time he had been watching she’d missed three opportunities to dust both vampires. Her fighting method was sloppy and seemed to have more in common with bar fights than any recognised style of martial arts.

Raising his pistol, Wesley shot one of the vampires in the chest as it advanced on the young woman after she’d thrown it into the side of one of the freight cars. Relieved of fighting two vampires the woman was able to concentrate on the remaining fiend and quickly dispatched it back to hell. Once the fight had finished, Wesley jumped down from the car and turned to face the young woman as she turned to face him.

Gasping quietly, Wesley realised that the young woman was probably the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, not that he came into contact with beautiful young women all that often. She was about five-foot-six tall and had a great main of blonde hair that tumbled down around her face and shoulders like a waterfall of golden curls. Even by the light of the moon he could see that her skin was flawless, she had small mouth and striking eyes. Her curvaceous figure was barely contained by the skin tight motorcycle leathers that she wore which, unlike his own, fitted her like a second skin and didn’t squeak when she moved. The woman was obviously some sort of goddess and Wesley wanted to be her high priest the instant her eyes fell on him and her lips curved into a smile.

“Hi,” she said in a voice like water tumbling gently over a waterfall, “thanks.”

“Huh?” Wesley replied unable to form a coherent sentence he was so love struck.

“For killing the monster,” the young woman took a couple of steps towards Wesley and held out her hand to him, “Shannon Doyle.”

“Huh?” Wesley repeated.

“My name,” Shannon repeated with a frown, “Shannon Doyle and thanks for the help there.” She smiled again at the obviously confused man, “Two of those things I can manage but three is a bit much.”

“What?” Wesley regained control of his brain and started to try and act like an adult and not a love-struck schoolboy. “Sorry? What? Yes…” Wesley paused and took a deep breath as he ordered his thoughts, “Sorry, I’m being rude, Wesley Wyndam-Price,” he shook the girl’s hand, “at your service.”

“English are ya?” Shannon asked as she retrieved her hand from Wesley’s slightly manic grip.

“I have that honour,” Wesley replied, “you’re from Ireland I take it.”

“Yep,” Shannon grinned, “North Dublin.”

“Oh,” Wesley saw a connection and took it, “I spent a rather pleasant summer in Dublin a few years ago.”

“I’m betting ya never went to North Dublin,” she asked with a wry smile.

“No,” Wesley’s smile slipped a little, that part of Dublin wasn’t very ‘nice’, “I don’t suppose I did.”

“Well never mind, I left as soon as I could so don’t feel bad about it,” Shannon paused to look around for a moment, “So Wes…do you mind if I call you Wes?”

Wesley was just about to open his mouth and say he’d rather be called Wesley when he closed it again. He didn’t actually mind _her_ calling him ‘Wes’, after all it was one-hundred times better than Rona calling him ‘Weasely’.

“Please, feel free,” Wesley sighed.

“Well, Wes, are we going to stand here all night or shall we go to a little coffee bar I know and you can tell me how you killed that monster…”

“Vampire,” Wesley corrected.

“Vampire?” Shannon frowned as she looked down at the piles of dust-like ash.

“Yes,” Wes frowned he’d seen this all too many times, a girl or woman who’d come into her powers and had no idea what had happened to her, “I think we need to talk.”

“Yes, I think we do, Wes,” Shannon took hold of Wesley’s hand and started to lead him away towards the nearby street, “and I for one could do with a hot drink.”

0=0=0=0

**Jeffersonville, Eastside, Tuesday Night.**

Crouching behind the Hummer, Faith looked over the top of her rifle and down the service road in front of her. The only illumination came from a couple of lights hanging from the side of the warehouse to her right, this didn’t actually bother her, in fact she’d prefer it if the lights weren’t there. Their feeble light was actually interfering with her super-night-vision, but she’d manage.

What was actually worrying her more was the way Major Finn had deployed his troops; she had a feeling that she’d been hung out as bait. At least the major had hung himself out with her so she suspected that he had some sort of carefully crafted tactical plan. Sneaky plans aside, she couldn’t work out why the civilian consultant, Ms Rosenberg, was still out there with them. The obviously nervous redhead was crouching down behind the Humvee with herself, Major Finn and Corporal Walker, she didn’t even have a weapon.

“Its coming,” Willow whispered quietly.

“You sure?” Riley asked.

“Sure as sure can be,” Willow confirmed with a half smile.

Reaching up, Riley pressed the ‘send’ switch of his personnel radio twice before taking a firmer grip on his M4. 

Faith on the other hand was confused, how the hell did the civilian woman know that the alien was on its way? The woman didn’t appear to be using any hi-tech scanner or even the map with its weird little lights. Glancing down at the, oh-so-cute, redhead, Faith chased the thoughts that were going through her mind out of the way. Two explanations had come to her mind while she’d been imagining what it would be like to make love to the redhead. Either she was some sort of psychic, or, she was like herself; some sort of super-powered freak.

“Its close,” Willow whispered.

“Which way?” Riley asked quietly; Willow pointed slightly off to the right, “Okay people,” Riley shifted his position slightly so he was facing the warehouse to their right, “goggles down, it’ll be here soon.”

It had been explained to Faith that the alien was invisible, however, normal army issue night vision goggles should reveal it to the soldiers; while the scrambler boxes everyone had been issued with should render them invisible to the alien. Even so, Faith didn’t like it, there were far too many ‘should’s’ for her liking. All the same if the Major thought it would give them an edge she’d go along with it until he was proved wrong. Pulling the goggles down over her eyes, Faith watched as the world turned green. They’d also been told not to switch on their laser sights as it was uncertain if the alien could detect them; this was another thing they were going to have to find out the hard way.

Slowly, carefully, Faith pulled back on the charging handle of her rifle. Easing the working parts forward so they wouldn’t make any noise she started to feel the familiar ‘ambush cramps’ low in her stomach. That familiar churning which warned her of danger was getting stronger by the second.

“It’s nearly here, sir,” Faith said from between gritted teeth.

“You sure, Sergeant?” Riley turned to look at her, grotesque in his night vision goggles.

“She’s right,” Willow interrupted before Faith had a chance to speak, “any second now!”

After giving three quick clicks on his ‘send’ switch, Riley pulled the butt of his rifle into his shoulder ready for action.

“Got it!” Faith hissed as she watched the ghostly green shape about fifty yards down the service road from the Hummer.

The alien was looking right at the Hummer, but showed no sign of attacking. To Faith’s mind it appeared confused as to why someone should leave a vehicle parked across the road like this.

“Where?” Slowly so as not to draw any attention, Riley scanned for the alien, a moment later he said, “I’ve got it now…on my word…FIRE!”

The night was split with the sound of firing as Faith and Riley opened up on the alien. If they’d been sure that the alien wouldn’t have seen the laser beams from their sights they’d have probably hit it straight away. As it was it was difficult to aim with their goggles down so they probably only hit the creature half a dozen times with their first burst of fire.

The alien moved with a speed and lethal grace that belied its size. Dodging to avoid the fire directed at it, it rolled to one side then came up firing the weapon that perched on its shoulder like a pirate’s parrot. Bright flashes of white light split the night causing Faith’s night vision goggles to flare out and become useless. Temporarily blinded, she ducked down behind the Hummer as the bolts of energy hit home. The vehicle rocked from side to side as the plasma bolts smashed into it. The Hummer began to burn further interfering with their night vision goggles, pulling her goggles from her eyes, Faith rolled away from the burning vehicle. Sighting her rifle by instinct alone she fired a long burst that emptied her magazine at the alien.

Staggering at the impact of the rounds the alien fired back at Faith. It was only then that it dawned on her that she might be invisible to the creature but the muzzle flash of her rifle wasn’t. Hugging the ground she heard and felt the torrent of energy directed at her impact the ground all around her. Trying to reload as she attempted to crawl to safety, Faith became aware of the deep throated roar of a .50 cal machine gun firing long bursts into the canyon of the service road. Immediately the alien redirected its fire and a moment later there was a loud explosion as a Hummer blew up and the ‘Fifty’ was silenced.

“Where’s it gone!?” Major Finn’s voice came to Faith ears over sound of the burning Hummer and rifle fire that seemed to be coming from all over.

Looking up, Faith saw a vague shape climbing up the side of the warehouse next to her.

“THERE!” She cried as she fired a long burst at the alien, again her fire didn’t appear to have any effect.

“I can’t see!” Major Finn ripped his goggles off; obviously all the muzzle flashes and the light from the burning vehicles were interfering with the goggle’s effectiveness.

But Faith could still see it…just. Firing steadily at the creature she saw her rounds strike home now she could actually aim properly. However, the alien kept going only marginally slowed by the damage it was receiving. Realising that it was going to get away, Faith jumped to her feet and ran down the alley to where the alien climbed.

“SERGEANT LEHANE!” Riley’s voice came from behind her, but she ignored it, “GET BACK HERE!”

Standing underneath the alien, Faith fired upwards, again she saw her rounds hit home, this time they appeared to do some good. Just as she thought she’d finally got the monster where she wanted it her rifle ran dry. Casting the useless weapon to one side she hauled her M9 pistol from its holster and continued to pump rounds into the creature.

After about half a dozen rounds the alien finally stopped moving, it hung for a second as Faith put a couple more rounds into it before it fell from the side of the building to land at her feet. Much to her surprise it still wasn’t dead! It moved slowly while looking up at Faith and laughing. Its right hand moved towards what looked like a control unit on its left fore arm. Having been briefed on the alien’s self destruct system, Faith moved quickly.

Stamping down on the creatures left arm she held it out of reach while she rammed her pistol into its face and fired; she kept on firing until the slide of her pistol locked back on an empty breach and magazine. Dropping her empty pistol she drew her combat knife and sitting astride the monster’s chest she stabbed it time and time again in the face, throat and torso, so engrossed was she in her work that she never heard the footsteps running up behind her.

“Okay, Sergeant,” Riley Finn’s voice finally penetrated Faith’s berserker rage, “I think you killed it!”

Only then did Faith stop and notice all the luminous, florescent, green blood that covered her hands, chest and thighs. Slowly she stood up still shaking slightly from the adrenaline rush, the beast inside her that revelled in combat had completely taken over her body, but now it was going back to its nest at the back of her head where it lived until the next time it was needed.

“Sergeant-Major Ward!” Riley called into the night as a multitude of army boots sounded as they ran down the road way, “Decontamination needed here!”

“You okay?” Willow asked Faith as she pushed her way between the crowd of Rangers who’d surrounded Faith.

“Yeah, I’m cool,” Faith admitted, she looked down at all the glowy stuff that clung to her skin and uniform, “Crap, what is this stuff?”

“Blood,” Riley explained simply, “we need to get you decontaminated, Sergeant. Go with Sergeant Major Ward.”

“Sir,” Faith nodded before walking off with the senior NCO, leaving Willow and Riley looking down at the dead alien.

“I think we’re gonna need bigger guns,” Willow pointed out as she watched the Rangers roll the alien up in plastic sheets.

“Yeah,” Riley agreed, the thing had almost got away before their M4’s could bring it down, “I’ll re-read the old reports, these things have been killed before so something must work against them.”

“Yeah, well,” Willow sighed relieved that the fighting was over for now, “at least this one won’t cause anymore trouble.”

“Yeah,” Riley agreed without showing much enthusiasm, “one down five to go.”

0=0=0=0


	7. Chapter 7

7.

**A Coffee Bar, Jeffersonville, Tuesday Night.**

“Oh, ya spoofin’ me!” Shannon laughed in Wesley’s face as she put down her coffee cup.

“I can assure you,” Wesley replied as he toyed with his own cup, “I am not.”

Although he’d never heard the phrase before, Wes had worked out from context that ‘spoofing’ meant ‘fooling’ or indeed ‘pulling ones leg’. He glanced away from the beautiful Irish girl to look around the down at heel coffee bar and its unsavoury clientèle. It wouldn’t have been the sort of place that he’d have gone into of his own free will, but Shannon had insisted and it appeared she was known here.

“So I’m one of these ‘slayers’,” Shannon’s voice interrupted Wes’ thoughts on the coffee bar.

“Indeed you are,” Wes continued with his explanation, “you say you came into your powers on or about the twentieth of May two-thousand-and-three?”

“Yeah,” Shannon shrugged, she was uncertain of the exact date but it sounded about right to her, “that’s about right. I woke up and found I could open jam jars all by me-self!” She flashed Wes another of her happy smiles but it soon faded as more unpleasant memories surfaced in her mind, “Then I started to get attacked by all these monsters and things.”

“Yes indeed,” Wes nodded his head as he reached across the table and patted Shannon’s hand, unlike Rona, Shannon didn’t move her hand away. “I’ve heard this story many times before and I can assure you that it was an unintended consequence of the spell that was cast…”

“Spell!?” Shannon interrupted her eyes going wide, “Like, magic exists? Ya spoo…”

“Erm, no I’m afraid I’m not,” Wes tried to smile encouragingly at the girl, “I realise what this must feel like,” he sympathised, “having all this dumped on you like this and it must all be very hard for you to believe…”

“Well, yes and no,” Shannon held on to Wes’ hand drawing some comfort and strength from the physical contact, “I used to read about wizards and witches, monsters and demons when I was a girl, so I was sorta prepared for the truth that they really existed. But…”

“But?” Wes encouraged the girl to speak.

“…but, Wes,” Shannon looked down at the table top for a moment, when she looked up again he could see the tears shine in her eyes, “I’ve been so frightened and lonely these past years, I…”

“I think I understand,” Wes thought he did, “being thrown into a world of a Hammer Horror film without warning, it must have been…” Wes thought he understood, but then he realised that he couldn’t possibly imagine what the last few years had been like for Shannon Doyle, “…terrible.”

“Terrible?” Shannon forced a laugh as she wiped a tear from her eye, “Typical English understatement…”

“Well, one has to reinforce the national stereotypes when one can,” Wes explained squeezing Shannon’s hand affectionately; his comment drew a genuine laugh from Shannon’s lips.

“You’re a strange man Wesley Wyndam-Price and no mistake,” Shannon slowly let go of his hand and started to get up, “now, monsters or no, I’ve got to get me beauty sleep…”

“Do you have to?” Wes gazed longingly at the girl as he started to get up.

“Yes I do,” Shannon continued, “and I’ve got a job to go to in the morning as well,” together they started for the door, “some of us have to work for a living.”

“Will I see you again?” Wes asked with more desperation in his voice that he’d actually meant.

“If ya want,” Shannon paused by the door.

“Yes I want…I mean I’d very much like to see you again,” even Wes thought he was sounding a little too needy, “and I can help too.”

“With the monsters?” Shannon let Wes open the door for her and walked out into the night.

“That and other things,” Wes replied rapidly.

“Other things now is it?” Shannon looked Wes up and down as she made up her mind about him; he seemed nice enough, a little earnest but not at all creepy. “Okay, I’ll tell you what; do you know the Starbuck’s in Johnson Plaza?”

“I can find it,” Wes replied eagerly.

“Meet me there at about one o’clock tomorrow, we’ll talk some more,” without warning Shannon leant towards Wes and kissed him on the cheek, “thanks,” she said and was gone before Wesley could reply.

0=0=0=0

**NID Command Trailer, Jeffersonville Docks, Wednesday Morning.**

Agent Keyes was not a happy man. He’d just got off the phone to his bosses in Washington and discovered that they weren’t happy men either, in fact they were so unhappy that the were considering pulling the plug on the present operation. The reason for their displeasure? So far Keyes and his team had achieved nothing while the army had acquired the wrecked alien space craft and killed one of the aliens in a fire fight the previous night. No doubt the alien’s body and equipment were on their way to some secret army run research lab right at this minute.

What was worse, from Keyes’ bosses’ point of view was; not only were the army’s own people examining the alien and its artefacts. But it appeared that the army was inviting the Air Force and Navy to help out! While the armed forces were reaping the benefits of this research what had the NID got? Nothing, except for a couple of survivors of an alien attack who’d told them nothing they didn’t already know and would have to be ‘disappeared’. The local authorities were up in arms about their cops being killed and Federal agencies trampling all over local jurisdictions while apparently not doing anything to catch the killers of four of Jeffersonville’s finest.

The men in Washington wanted results and they didn’t much care how Keyes got them, but get them he must and soon. They had spent an awful lot of money on this project and had so-far got nothing to show for it. There had even been some dark suggestions that if Keyes and his team didn’t get results soon they might find themselves transferred to the Goa’uld Implantation Project!

Walking out of his tiny office at the end of the command trailer and into the actual ‘command’ part of the trailer, Keyes glanced at the rows of monitors that lined the walls.

“Anything?” Keyes asked the operator who sat motionless as he monitored the screens.

“Nothing, sir,” replied the agent.

“Damn,” Keyes cursed quietly as he continued to watch the monitors for a moment.

They’d spent hours placing sensors all around the alien’s suspected hide-out yet they’d got nothing. They had a satellite in orbit right above the city yet they’d only arrived at the scene of the latest alien attack well after the creature itself had left. All they’d got for all this hi-tech equipment and millions of dollars were four dead bodies a Colombian gangster his bodyguard and a local call girl. Yet the army appeared to be able to track the alien all the way across town. They’d arrived at Jefferson Towers only moments behind the alien. Not even bothering to investigate the attack they’d headed off after the alien as if it was wearing a tracking device. Next they’d actually managed to get between the alien and wherever it was going and ambushed it and killed it! To top it all they’d only lost one man killed and a couple more injured.

“What have the army got that we don’t?” Keyes asked himself.

“Sorry sir?” The man on the monitors asked thinking Keyes was talking to him.

“Nothing,” Keyes shook his head in disgust, he needed a success and he needed it soon, “find me Agent Gerber and have him meet me at my car.”

“Yes sir,” the operator reached for his radio mike to call Gerber while Keyes headed for the door and the outside world.

0=0=0=0

**The Adams Motel, Wednesday Morning.**

“I’m pooped!” Willow slumped down into a chair in the room Riley and herself had been using.

“You might as well get your head down,” Riley said as he glanced at his watch, “I doubt there’ll be any more action until tonight. We’ve lost contact with the aliens, its like they’ve dropped off the face of the world.” Riley glanced to where Faith stood by the door, “You might as well go home too Sergeant, I don’t think I’ll be needing you today either, be back here at sixteen-hundred. See the Sergeant-Major about borrowing one of our Humvees, you’re dismissed.”

“Thank-you, sir,” Faith came to attention and thinking that for an officer Major Finn was a pretty decent guy headed for the outside world.

Picking up the bag that contained her freshly decontaminated uniform, Faith turned and headed out the door. Pausing in the cool early morning air she stood for a moment and took in the activity going on all around. The previous night they’d managed to take down one alien, well, she’d taken down one alien. But it had taken nearly sixty highly trained Rangers, one super-soldier (herself) and one woman with seemingly spooky mind powers to do it. If ever these things started to go out in pairs they were going to be in a world of hurt. Glancing over her shoulder at the sound of the door to the office opening and closing, Faith saw the redhead, Willow Rosenberg, come out to stand for a moment in the early morning light. After pausing for a minute she turned and walked off down the line of motel room doors. On an impulse Faith called out after her.

“Ma’am!” Faith walked over to where Willow had stopped, “Excuse me ma’am but where will you be sleeping today?”

“Oh I’ve got a room down this way,” Willow pointed vaguely to her right.

“Hey look,” Faith grinned, “I gotta little house with a spare room, ya can use that if ya like, its gotta be better than tryin’ to sleep ‘round here.”

Willow looked around at all the activity going on in and around the motel, she was just about to refuse Faith’s offer when a fire truck went by on the nearby main road with all its sirens blasting.

“Thanks,” Willow replied, her mind made up “that would be nice.”

“Great!” Faith smiled and didn’t know why she felt so happy that the redhead had agreed to her suggestion.

“Look,” Willow began to explain, “I’ll get my stuff and then I better tell Riley where I’m going.”

“Okay,” Faith agreed, “I’ve gotta see the Sergeant-Major about using one of their Hummers, I’ll meet you back her in five, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Willow nodded wondering ‘five’ whats? Minutes she supposed.

0=0=0=0

True to her word, Faith pulled up in front of Willow almost exactly five minutes later, she reached across the front passenger seat of the Hummer and opened the door for her.

“Thanks,” Willow climbed into the Hummer next to Faith and threw her one small suitcase onto the back seat.

“Buckle up,” Faith told her as Willow closed the door, “I wanna get home so I’m not gonna hang around.”

“Ooooh!” Too late Willow remembered what Faith was; slayer driving methods were apt to give none slayers heart attacks.

It wasn’t that slayers were bad drivers. On the contrary they were very good drivers; possessed of split second reactions and being totally aware of what was happening around them they were incredibly safe…as long as you were in the vehicle with them. It was the trail of destruction they left behind them as less ‘safe’ drivers took frantic evasive action, this was what worried Willow. With an evil glint in her eye, Faith smiled at Willow, flipped a switch on the dashboard that started the blue and red lights on the roof of the Hummer flashing and put her foot down. The vehicle shot off accompanied by a cry of alarm from Willow and the squeal of protesting tyres.

Trying not to stare out of the windshield like a frightened rabbit, Willow eased her claw like fingers from their position on the dashboard. Calm down, she told herself; you’re quite safe…in here. Turning her head slightly she saw a pick-up truck swerve off the road in an attempt to avoid the speeding Hummer.

“Asshole,” Faith muttered as she glanced in her rear view mirror, remembering that she wasn’t alone Faith looked at Willow, “Sorry ma’am I forgot you were there.”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Willow lied while wondering if her will was up to date, “and call me Willow, please.”

“Hey thanks,” Faith glanced out the windshield before manoeuvring around an eighteen wheeler and narrowly missing a panel van that was coming the other way, “it’s Faith, okay?”

“S-sure,” Willow closed her eyes while she began to pray to the Goddess for help.

“Yeah I know,” Faith saw Willow’s lips moving and realised what Willow was doing, “drivers ‘round here, makes ya wonder how they got licenses…HEY BOZO!” Faith yelled at a the car in front of them, “GET OUTTA THE WAY WILL YA!?”

0=0=0=0

Twenty minutes and a hundred years later, Willow climbed out of the Humvee. Her legs almost didn’t want to support her they were shaking so much, but she managed to remain standing and retrieve her case from the back seat. Looking at Faith’s ‘little house’ she saw a smart bungalow with a well tended lawn in front of it. The house’s paint work shone brightly in the early morning sun. Being led up the path to the front door, Willow was let in to find a neat and tidy front room with a kitchen off to the left and a short corridor off to the right.

“Its not much but its home,” Faith explained as she made her way through to the kitchen where she dumped the plastic bag containing her uniform on the floor in front of the washing machine. After filling the kettle with fresh water and switching it on she walked back into the living room. “I’ll show ya the spare room an’ you can dump ya gear.”

Moving across the room Willow noticed a few framed photographs on the walls, they all seemed to show either Faith or other soldiers in various places around the world. Noticing where Willow’s eyes were directed, Faith paused to point to one or two of them.

“That’s me just after basic,” Faith pointed to a picture of a slightly younger version of herself looking very serious in her best uniform, “An’ that’s me an’ the guys in Iraq.”

Willow looked at the picture to see a crowd of young men and women grinning at the camera. Next Willow looked at a picture of Faith with a young blonde woman.

“Who’s this?” Willow had noticed the blonde had been in the Iraq photo, but this showed Faith and the blonde girl dressed in bikinis on a beach somewhere.

“Oh that’s B,” Faith explained, she found herself reluctant to say anything more; coming to the door to the spare room she pushed it open for Willow. “Here ya go,” Faith indicated the smaller of the two bedrooms, “there’s sheets and a spare duvet in the closet, pillows an’ stuff too. Why don’t you get y’self settled in an’ I’ll make breakfast, tea or coffee? Ya like eggs?”

“Please,” Willow smiled her thanks, “and tea would be nice…bathroom?”

“Just there,” Faith pointed to a door on the opposite side of the corridor.

0=0=0=0

Alone in the bedroom, Willow got out the spare bedding from the closet and started to make her bed. Long years of fighting evil meant that she was used to staying up all night, but pretty soon she knew she’d start to flag and although the spells she’d been using were very minor ones they still took a lot out of her. A few hours sleep in a nice comfy bed would surely do her the world of good.

Having made up her bed, Willow began to empty her suitcase, as she did so she started to think about Faith. The Faith she saw here today was so different from the Faith she remembered from Sunnydale. For a start, when she’d come into the house Willow had sort of expected to find the place a mess, but she hadn’t. Faith’s home was neat and well kept which either meant that Faith didn’t spend too much time there or she was a little obsessive about keeping things clean; or, maybe it was just from being in the army.

Walking out into the corridor, Willow could hear Faith working in the kitchen, the idea of Faith cooking made her smile for a moment, it was just something she’d never imagined her doing. As Willow walked towards the kitchen something on a bookshelf caught her eye and she paused to have a look. Displayed in a picture frame where three medals. Two star shaped ones and one heart shaped one. Willow didn’t recognise the two star shaped ones, but she knew what the heart shaped one with its picture of Washington’s head embossed on it was.

The Purple Heart; Willow knew this was given to soldiers who’d been wounded in action. This one had two little gold stars on the ribbon, she guessed that this meant that Faith had been wounded more than once. In that instant, Willow suddenly felt that all her memories of Faith from her Sunnydale days were about a different Faith, a Faith that had no connection with the Faith who was cooking breakfast for her in the kitchen. Walking into the kitchen, Willow stood next to Faith for a moment as she glanced around at her and smiled.

“Hope you like your eggs scrambled,” Faith asked as she stirred the eggs in the pan, “OH!”

“Sorry,” Willow smiled apologetically after kissing Faith on the cheek.

“Hey don’t sweat it,” Faith touched her face where Willow had kissed her.

“I saw your medals an’ stuff and I just wanted to say thank-you, for everything, y’know?”

“Hey, no problemo,” Faith replied slightly embarrassed, “come on,” she took the pan from off the hotplate, “get it while its hot!”

0=0=0=0

**Jeffersonville Docks, Wednesday Morning.**

“Sir?” Agent Garber climbed into the front of Keyes’ car and pulled the door closed behind him.

“You got rid of the evidence?” Keyes asked referring to the gangsters and the whore from the night before.

“They’ll never be found, sir,” Garber reassured him.

“Agent Garber,” Keyes sighed wearily, “things are not going well for us.”

“Sir,” Garber replied keeping his voice neutral.

“The army have somehow beaten us to the prize,” Keyes explained, “and our masters in Washington are not pleased.”

“No, Sir,” Garber said keeping his answers short.

“We need a major success and we need it soon,” Keyes stared out of the windshield for a long moment before continuing, “the idea I had for suckering the aliens into a trap…”

“Yes, Sir,” Garber nodded his head slowly, “I’ve done a feasibility study on that and I think I’ve found just the place.”

“You have?” Keyes almost smiled at the news.

“Yes Sir, the Mall on Long Street,” Garber began to explain, “it has everything we could want, I can show you the initial plan I’ve come up with if you like.”

“Oh, yes Agent Garber,” this time Keyes did smile, “I would like that very much.”

0=0=0=0


	8. Chapter 8

8.

**The Adams Motel, Wednesday Afternoon.**

Bringing the Hummer to a halt outside the Motel, Faith switched off the engine and glanced over to where Willow sat beside her.

“If ya don’t mind me saying, ma’am,” Faith said with concern, “but ya still look like crap.”

Oddly the comment made the woman beside Faith smile. After taking Willow back to her house and giving her breakfast, Faith had let Willow sleep for as long as she could. Faith had slept for about four hours, which was plenty for her; she’d found that she could keep going happily on three or four hours sleep a night. As long as she got to have a good long sleep every six or seven days, lack of sleep didn’t appear to bother her. However, Willow Rosenberg wasn’t so lucky. To Faith the redhead looked as if she’d been on a twenty-four hour route march. However she tracked these alien things it looked like it really took it out of her.

“Don’t worry about it,” Willow tried to stifle a yawn, “I’m used to it and it’ll probably be a while before I need to do anything so maybe I can get a nap.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Faith replied unconvinced.

“Come-on,” Willow pushed open her door, “we better go see what Riley wants us to do or…”

“Ma’am…” Faith reached over and held onto Willow’s arm preventing her from getting out of the Humvee.

“I told you its Willow,” Willow looked down to where Faith’s hand rested on her arm.

“Not here it isn’t, ma’am,” Faith replied seriously, “when we’re not near officers, maybe, but that’s not what I wanted to ask.”

“So, what do you want to know?” Willow sat back in her seat.

“You’re different, like me,” Faith asked quietly, “ain’t ya?”

“Yeah,” Willow replied without hesitation, “I suppose I am, why?”

“I’m thinking,” Faith continued to speak softly, “us ‘different’ people should stick together, y’know what I mean?”

“I think I do,” Willow looked into Faith’s eyes and saw the concern there and maybe just a little fear; but, that was silly because Faith wasn’t afraid of anything and she had medals to prove it, “Come on Faith, times a-wasting.”

Climbing out of the Hummer, Willow led the way into the room that Riley was using as his office. To her it appeared that Riley hadn’t moved since she left him at just before eight that morning.

“Hi Riley,” Willow forced a cheerful smile onto her face as Riley looked up at her, “I hope you haven’t been up all day.”

“No,” Riley shook his head, “I got a couple of hours earlier.”

“So,” Willow drifted over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup, the effects of the strong tea Faith had given her on getting up were starting to wear off, “any sign of our friends?”

“Not a one,” Riley sighed as he stood up straight from leaning over his map; he seemed to notice Faith for the first time, “Hey,” he said looking closely at Faith, “Staff Sergeant you’re out of uniform.”

“Sir?” Faith looked down at herself, like always her uniform was perfect it had to be, she was an MP.

“Here,” Riley turned and picked up a small box, facing Faith again he handed her the box and smiled, “Congratulations Ms Lehane.”

“Sir?” Faith said suspiciously as she took the box and opened it.

“I spoke to my General who spoke to your General,” Riley explained as Faith looked in stunned silence at the two metal rank badges in the box. “They both thought that while you’re working with me you deserved to be something more than a ‘Staff Sergeant’, so…” Riley paused to let Faith come to terms with her promotion, “…they decided to promote you to Warrant Officer One and transfer you to my command…of course its only temporary, but you’ll still have to get used to people calling you ‘Ma’am’ and ‘Chief’.”

“But sir,” Faith found her voice that had deserted her for a minute or two, “that’s a jump of about six grades!”

“Yeah I know,” Riley nodded, “people must think you’re worth it…”

“Congratulations Faith!” Willow bounced across the room, threw her arms around Faith’s neck and kissed her on the cheek, “You can call me ‘Willow’ all the time now you’re a big important Warrant Officer person.”

“Yeah, sure,” Faith gave Willow a confused smile as she let her go; slowly Faith reached up to her collar and started to remove her staff sergeant’s chevrons.

“Here,” Willow approached Faith again, “let me do that.”

Taking the chevrons from the collar of Faith’s jacket, Willow replaced them with the Warrant Officer’s bars. All the time she was doing it she couldn’t help being distracted by the closeness and hotness that was Faith Lehane. When she’d kissed Faith on the cheek just now she’d had to stop herself from kissing her on the lips. Pulling herself together, Willow stood back and patted down Faith’s collar with their brand new rank badges. How easy it would be to let her hand slide down across Faith’s chest, to feel her firm breasts, even through her uniform. Mentally dashing her face with cold water, Willow smiled and took a long step back from Faith. Making mad, passionate love to newly promoted Soldier-Faith right there on the motel room floor probably wouldn’t go down too well with Riley. He’d probably frown and get all grumpy.

“So,” Willow turned to face Riley, “what’s the plan?”

“Same as last night, if you’re feeling up to it?” Riley replied going back to the map, “But this time if we can’t intercept the aliens before they attack, we must try and find their base of operations.”

“Yeah,” Willow agreed, “but I don’t know how…”

Willow was interrupted by the door behind her opening to admit a female officer. Bracing to attention, Faith recognised the woman as the same Air Force Colonel that had pinned the Bronze Star on to her way back in Iraq.

“Major Finn?” The woman asked.

“Colonel Carter?” Riley braced to attention and saluted before relaxing at Colonel Carter’s return salute.

“The same,” Carter smiled, “I hear you’ve got an alien problem.”

“Too true,” Riley nodded before gesturing to Willow, “may I introduce Ms Rosenberg, she’s a civilian consultant who’s helping out on this mission…”

Turning towards Willow, Carter held out her hand all the time wondering how a civilian consultant could possible help the US Army in chasing down aliens.

“…and this is Warrant Officer Lehane, who’s recently joined my staff,” Riley introduced Faith.

“Ms Lehane and myself already know each other,” Carter turned to face Faith and shook her hand warmly noticing the Warrant Officer bars on Faith’s collar, “You’ve gone up in the world since we last met, I see.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Faith replied, “and its good to see you again.”

“You never called me back, why was that?” Carter asked, “Get a better offer?”

“I wanted to go back with my buddies,” Faith explained, “but that didn’t work out so well.”

“No?” Carter wondered what had happened, “But, you’re here now?”

“Just temporary, ma’am,” Faith explained.

Seeing Riley’s confused look, Carter thought she better explain herself.

“After Ms Lehane’s adventures in the desert,” Carter suddenly realised that this must be the same Major, Captain as was, Finn that Faith had carried out of the desert on her back; that explained a lot, Carter mused. “I offered her a job, but she turned me down…so what have you got, Major?”

“At least five extra-terrestrials using Jeffersonville as their own private hunting reserve,” Riley explained quickly, “we killed one last night. But we want to find their base so we can take them out in one hit.”

“Hmm,” Colonel Carter studied the map to give herself time to think, she’d been told what information she could share with these people. “Okay, first off I’ve got to say that I’ve never seen anything like these creatures before but I have read about the other two known attacks.”

Willow looked at Riley and then at Faith in surprise, this woman hadn’t seen anything like these aliens before? This sort of begged the question; what had she seen?

“But the good news is,” Carter looked up from the map, “I’ve got access to some tracking devices that might help…”

As Riley and Colonel Carter started to plan the night’s operations, Faith and Willow found themselves sidelined for now.

“Hey,” Faith bent her head so she could whisper quietly into Willow’s ear, “now might be a good time to take that nap, I’ll come get you if they need you.”

“Yeah,” Willow nodded as she felt her skin go all goose bumpy from her ear being so close to Faith’s lips, “I’ll do that, thanks.”

0=0=0=0

**Jeffersonville, Westside, about dusk Wednesday evening.**

The meeting with Shannon that lunchtime, had gone better than Wesley’s wildest dreams could have imagined. Not only was Shannon eager to learn more about the supernatural, she also appeared to like him and wanted him to teach her how to be a proper slayer. The only thing that had spoilt Wesley’s good mood as he’d waited for Shannon to finish work that afternoon, was the knowledge of what he hadn’t told her. For instance he’d not told her that he’d been thrown out of the Reformed Watcher’s Council, in fact he’d hardly mentioned the RWC at all and when he had he’d made them sound like a purely advisory group. He’d also not told her about his mission to expose Faith Lehane as the murderer she was and how the US Army was protecting her. He’d also not mentioned and hardly admitted to himself that when he eventually confronted Lehane with her evil ways, having his very own slayer on side improved his chances of surviving the encounter dramatically.

Deep down, Wesley Wyndam-Price was an honourable man, he liked Shannon Doyle a great deal. Even after only knowing her for less than twenty-four hours and she seemed to feel the same way about him. This, he felt sure, must be like the same bond Rupert Giles had with his slayer, Buffy Summers. It made him wonder; perhaps certain slayers and watchers were meant to be together. If he was still working for the Council it would make a fascinating research project. But he wasn’t, he was standing next to his motorbike on a windy street corner in the bad part of town waiting for a girl he hardly knew to turn up.

Shifting, to look behind him, Wesley smiled, he’d changed into a pair of jeans and his every movement was no longer accompanied by the sound of squeaking. Turning back to face the way he’d been looking he found himself staring eyeball to eyeball with a grinning Irish girl. Wesley screamed as he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Did I give you a little fright there, Wes?” Shannon asked with false concern.

“D-don’t do that again,” Wesley slowly started to recover as his heart slowed down to a more normal rate, “please!”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Shannon leaned against Wesley’s bike, “being able to do stunts like that is one of the few good things about being one of these here slayer girls.”

“Yes alright,” Wesley admitted, “but do you really want your new found watcher to have a heart attack so early in our relationship?”

“Och, y’probably right,” Shannon admitted, “so, what's the plan for tonight?”

“Well,” Wesley smiled finding he couldn’t be cross at the girl for very long and it had been funny catching him like that; but back to business, “I’d thought we’d patrol and if we see anything I can watch your fighting style and then we can see what needs to be done from there.” He handed Shannon a motorbike helmet, “Here put this on.”

“Oh!” Shannon took the helmet from Wesley’s hand, “Its biker-slayer now so it is?”

“For now,” Wesley admitted as he climbed onto the bike and started to put on his own helmet, “I’m thinking of trading it in and upgrading to something with more wheels.” Feeling Shannon climb aboard he glanced at her over his shoulder, “Ready?” He asked and got an answering nod, “Hold on tight!”

As he revved the engine and put the bike into gear, Wesley felt Shannon’s arms snake around his waist and hold him tight. For just a moment he forgot he was a rogue watcher with a mission and remembered he was a man with a beautiful girl sitting behind him on his bike.

0=0=0=0

**The Adams Motel, Jeffersonville, Wednesday evening.**

Standing outside Major Finn’s office, Faith felt the comforting weight of the Smith and Wesson AS2 in her hands. About half the personnel in the Ranger unit hunting the aliens had been issued with the assault shotgun the other’s having had their M4’s replaced by various types of 7.62mm assault rifles. The AS2 she was carrying fired either semi-auto or three round bursts. The bulky 12 gauge weapon looked rather like an M16 on steroids and Faith knew she could do some damage with it. Although the previous night she’d seen her 5.56mm rounds hitting the alien hunter it’d appeared to just shrug off the damage.

In fact the 9mm rounds she’d fired into the alien had seemed to do more harm, but that, Faith told herself, was probably more to do with them being fired at point blank range than any difference in stopping power. But tonight, if they managed to corner one or more of these alien scum she felt sure she’d be able to take at least one of the mothers down. Shifting slightly in her equipment vest, Faith checked that all the ten round magazines for the shotgun she was carrying where securely in their pouches, as were her fragmentation and smoke grenades.

There was one other new piece of equipment for tonight’s mission; paint grenades. These were actually the same type of grenades used by paint-ballers. The idea was to throw them at the aliens splashing them with paint and making them visible. Smiling at the idea, Faith was willing to try anything, she’d also remembered the look on Willow Rosenberg’s face when the paint grenades had been explained to her. The young woman had said something about ‘maybe magicking something up’, whatever that meant; she’d then locked herself in her room for half an hour before coming out dressed in her fatigues but with no obvious new weapons. Perhaps she’d not been able to ‘magic’ anything up after all.

Colonel Carter was now explaining how some fancy hand-held trackers worked to all the squad leaders who’d be carrying them. Faith didn’t bother listening much, she was confident that her spooky super-senses would let her track the monsters once they were out on the street again. The night seemed to be her element; her heightened senses never really left her but they seemed to be more intense at night. A fact that several Iraqi insurgents had discovered to their cost, it also let her track and kill the bloodsuckers that roamed all American cities nowadays.

Eager to start the hunt, Faith walked over to stand next to Willow who was in turn standing next to Major Finn’s Humvee. Tonight Colonel Carter and one of her shiny trackers would be joining them. Looking around as Faith joined her Willow smiled nervously.

“I find the waiting’s the worst,” she told Faith.

“Nah,” Faith shook her head knowingly, “the getting your legs blown off in an ambush is the worst…if ya not killed.”

Willow made a small frightened noise in the back of her throat, before replying to Faith.

“Y’know, I really-really wish you hadn’t told me that!”

0=0=0=0

**Jeffersonville, Westside Railroad Yards, Wednesday Night.**

“So,” Shannon eyed the wooden stake Wesley had just given her suspiciously, “I just stick this in their hearts and they just go poof, eh?”

“That’s right,” Wesley nodded to the disbelieving girl, “one of the three traditional ways of killing a vampire.”

“Vampires?” Shannon smiled uncertainly, “Are y’sure y’not spoofin’ me here, Wes?”

“Watcher’s honour,” Wesley placed his right hand over his heart, “just you see it’ll work.”

“Okay,” glancing once more at the piece of sharpened wood in her hand, Shannon started to move slowly along the darkened service road between the two dilapidated warehouses. 

Only moments before Shannon’s slayer senses had warned her of a possible vampire presence at the far end of the road. Bringing the motorbike to a halt, Wesley had given a couple of moments instruction to his disbelieving slayer about the correct use of a stake; now he’d packed her off down this dark alley while he followed her clutching a crossbow in his sweaty hands.

0=0=0=0

The sound of voices had drawn the alien to the rooftop above where the four prey animals stood talking in the dark. At first, seeing the creatures weren’t armed, he was just about to leave and find more challenging prey when he noticed something and turned back for a second look. If the alien’s facial muscles had been capable of producing a frown he would have. Flipping through the different light frequencies available to his head-up display he settled on infer-red and watched the four prey closely. Every other prey animal on this planet radiated heat within a limited range. The four prey he was at present looking at appeared to be radiating no heat what-so-ever. Again the hunter paused, perhaps these were some other hunters poaching on his race’s reserve, if so they needed to be shown the error of there ways.

Jumping down into the middle of the group, the Hunter lashed out with his gutting knife and stabbed one of the ‘cold-prey’ in the stomach. Instead of dying within moments the prey screamed in pain before recovering and while the knife was still in its belly lashing out with its fist at the Hunter.

Staggering back in surprise the Hunter deployed his plasma gun and shot the first creature in the head. The cold-prey’s head exploded and then much to the Hunter’s surprise the prey exploded into ash. Turning to face the other cold-prey the Hunter was just in time to receive their charge. Too close to fire his plasma weapon, the Hunter had to fight the prey hand-to-hand. Several facts entered the Hunter’s coldly analytical, predator’s mind. The prey were not only harder to kill than normal prey, but they also appeared to be able to see him even when his cloak was on and functioning.

0=0=0=0

Coming around the corner, Shannon discovered that she had the three vampires trapped at the end of the alley; they also appeared to be attacking something invisible. Shrugging, she looked at her stake. If the vampires were already fighting something it would make her job easier, all she’d have to do was come up behind them stab them with Wes’ pointy stick and then run before the ‘whatever it was’ they were fighting came after her. Clutching her piece of sharpened wood, Shannon moved into the attack.

0=0=0=0


	9. Chapter 9

9.

**Jeffersonville, Westside, Wednesday Night.**

Fending off the attacks of all three cold-prey, the Hunter found himself in the unusual position of retreating. It seemed to him that the cold-prey couldn’t actually see him but they could sense him in some way. Also not only were these prey unusually strong they appeared almost impossible to kill. Injuries that would have killed any normal prey merely slowed these creatures down; even then they recovered unbelievably quickly and would attack once again. The Hunter was just considering breaking off combat and retreating when the cold-prey in front of him exploded into ash.

Almost sure that the cold-prey’s spectacular demise was nothing to do with any of his actions the Hunter stepped away from the two remaining cold-prey in the hopes of acquiring the new threat that the creatures were now fighting. Jumping up onto a metal container of waste material the Hunter studied the strange events that were unfolding in front of his eyes. A lone and normal temperature prey-animal was fighting the two cold-prey and appeared to be getting the upper hand. This was very disturbing because not only did the prey-animal appear stronger than the two cold-prey it was also a female.

Once again the Hunter found himself confused; prey-animal females were almost always weaker than the males and as a result were only rarely hunted. This prey-animal female appeared to be several times stronger than the strongest male. The Hunter knew he had to fight her and take her skull as a trophy.

0=0=0=0

Having rammed her stake into the back of one vampire, Shannon was gratified to see it explode into ash; Wes had been right; drive a piece of wood through a vampire’s heart and it died! This was so much easier than trying to break their necks. With a cry of battle-joy that would have made her Celtic ancestors proud, Shannon set about the two surviving vampires. Exchanging blows with the two bloodsuckers for a few seconds, Shannon noticed that whatever the vampires had been fighting seemed to have gone now.

Hurling one vampire into the wall of the alley, Shannon plunged her stake into the other one’s heart; she stood back and watched it turn to ash. The downed vampire leapt back to its feet and hesitated. Quickly looking up and down the alley the creature of the night rapidly weighed up its chances of survival. The strange, invisible, demon was still in the alley, he couldn’t exactly see it but he could sense its heat and hear the sound of its heart. Standing only a couple of yards away stood one of the new slayers, stake in hand. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, the surviving vampire took to his heels and ran towards the exit.

0=0=0=0

Making his way up the alley, Wesley paused as the sounds of violence from around the corner stopped. He’d heard Shannon’s cry of victory; at first he’d thought that she might be in pain and distress and he’d hurried onwards with every intention of saving his new found slayer. But the continued sounds of combat told him that Shannon was still fighting and by the sounds of it winning. Feeling unaccustomed pride, Wesley was just about to turn the corner and congratulate his slayer on a job well done when he found himself staring into the yellow eyes and distorted face of a male vampire.

Crying out in surprise and fear, Wesley felt horror and anger bubble up in his chest in equal proportions. This vile bloodsucker had obviously injured his slayer, this could be the only explanation for its continued existence. Fumbling with his crossbow, Wesley managed to point it at the vampire and pull the trigger. The hardwood bolt travelled the short distance from bow to vampire in an instant. For a moment the vampire stood transfixed staring down stupidly at the piece of wood sticking out of his chest before slowly turning to ash and blowing away on the night breeze.

“Oh-my!” Wesley said in a very small voice as he stared, mesmerized at the spot where the vampire had stood only seconds before.

“Wes?” Shannon came around the corner of the warehouse and took in Wesley’s opened mouth, wide eyed stare; she knew instinctively what had happened, “Way to go Wesley!”

Smiling happily she bounced over to Wesley, pushed his crossbow out of the way and threw her arms around his neck before kissing him full on the lips. After a moment or two, Shannon seemed to realise what she was doing and that it probably wasn’t proper behaviour between Watcher and Slayer. It also wasn’t proper behaviour for her to be kissing a man who’d she’d known for only a day and who’d not even taken her to the pictures yet.

“Sorry,” Shannon released her hold on Wesley and stepped away from him.

“No…” whatever else Wesley was about to say stuck in his throat for a moment; he swallowed hard and tried again. “N-no that’s quite alright, perfectly understandable under the circumstances…the stress of combat’s likely to make us all do things we wouldn’t normally do.”

“Of course, I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” Shannon explained, but her thoughts belied her words, she’d actually quite liked kissing Wesley, it made her feel tingly all over.

“So what did you slay?” Wesley was careful to say ‘slay’ he’d noticed that Rona hadn’t liked it when he’d asked her what she’d ‘killed’ on patrol. Wesley was beginning to understand that slayers were also young women and as such were generally uncomfortable with the idea of fighting and killing which warred with their slayer urge to fight; it all made for some interesting stress management problems. Taking a few moments, Shannon described her fight with the three vampires.

“Odd thing was,” Shannon continued, “when I came ‘round the corner there they were already fighting something.”

“Did you see what it was?” Wesley asked as he peered down the darkened alley.

“No,” Shannon shook her head, “it was dark and I think it had just gone when I arrived.”

“Oh,” Wesley smiled happily at his slayer, “I don’t think it’s anything we should worry about just now.”

“You think?” Shannon wasn’t so sure, she had this odd feeling that the ‘whatever-it-was’ was still around somewhere.

“Well,” Wesley replied as he bent to pick up his crossbow bolt, “as you didn’t see it clearly we’ve nothing much to go on.”

“Okay,” Shannon shrugged, “if you say so,” grinning, Shannon advanced on Wesley and slipped her arm through his, “so, where are you taking me for supper?”

“I’m sorry?” Wesley replied confused.

“Well you don’t expect me to slay more vampires on an empty stomach now, do you?” Shannon pouted.

“No…” Wesley couldn’t help but smile, “…where would you like to go?”

0=0=0=0

“I’ve got something!” Sam Carter cried out from the back of Riley’s Humvee.

Sitting sandwiched between Willow Rosenberg on one side and Colonel Carter on the other, Faith had a perfect view of both women’s tracking devices. Mostly, Faith had been watching the little lights winking in and out of existence on Willow’s map and had been listening to her mutter darkly about ‘alien tech messing with her magic’. Turning her head to look at Colonel Carter’s fancy hand held scanner thing, Faith frowned. Okay, the Colonel’s thing might have picked up one of these aliens but it wasn’t as ‘user friendly’ as Willow’s light show. Frowning even more deeply, Faith tried to puzzle out what all the blips and lines on the Colonel’s device actually meant and came up blank.

“Where?” Riley called back from the front seat.

“Bearing, two-nine-seven degrees, range about one thousand metres,” Carter made some adjustments to her scanner only to have the flashing blip on its screen vanish. “Damn-it!” Making some frantic adjustments to her machine Carter failed to get the signal back, “They must be using some stealth technology; I’ll up the power output and try to burn through it.”

“Two-nine-seven at one-thousand metres,” Riley’s finger traced an invisible line across the map on his knees, “that’s somewhere this side of the railroad yards, we’ll head there maybe you’ll get a better lock when we’re closer.”

Picking up the radio mike hanging from the dashboard, Riley spoke into it issuing rapid orders as Walker, the driver, picked up speed. Going around a corner at high speed, Faith, once again found herself thrown up against Willow’s body. As she had on the previous night, Faith felt herself reluctant to break the contact with the slim, red head’s warm, enticing body.

“Sorry,” Faith mumbled as she sat back in her own seat and reorganised her weapons and equipment.

“N-no, t-that’s okay,” Willow stuttered as she smoothed out her map, she couldn’t believe she was getting all ‘lusty’ feelings for Faith Lehane of all people. “OH!” Willow cried out in surprise as her map showed several bright dots of light; obviously her magic had burnt its way through whatever these aliens were using to hide themselves. “I’ve got them all!” Willow resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the Air Force Colonel sitting on the other side of Faith; but she did think ‘Yay for magic!’ It was childish but she couldn’t help herself. Glancing at Willow’s map Faith saw five dots spread out all over the city; the closest one did appear to be the one at the railroad yard.

“Major Finn, sir,” Faith called, “closest target is still the one in the railroad yard, I’d recommend you get everyone there like soonest!”

“You would, Ms Lehane?” Riley looked over the back of his seat at Faith and grinned.

“Erm,” Faith wondered if she might have overstepped the mark there, but something inside her wanted to take charge, “Yes Sir, I would.”

“Colonel Carter?” Riley shifted his gaze to Sam Carter.

“I agree,” Sam continued to study the screen of her tracker, “its been stationary for several minutes now if we’re quick we should catch it.”

“You heard the Colonel,” Riley turned to his driver, “fast as you like Walker!”

“Yes Sir!” Corporal Walker almost laughed out loud as he put his foot down.

0=0=0=0

“Hey!” Wesley felt himself being pushed out of the way by Shannon just before he tripped and fell to the ground, it was only the fact that he was wearing his leather motorcycle jacket that prevented him from badly cutting himself on a discarded bottle.

Looking up he saw Shannon in desperate combat with some invisible foe. He watched in horror as his slayer was thrown across the mouth of the alley to crash into a dumpster and bounce onto the road. Something moved by him and splashed in a puddle of dirty water left over from the previous day’s rain. As Wesley watched he saw blue electric sparks flash through the air. It was almost as if they were travelling over the surface of some living thing. Then as he watched, the sparks came to a crescendo of flashes to reveal a hideous creature fully seven feet tall.

Gasping in surprise, Wesley reached for his cross bow as the demon, or whatever it was, reached for his slayer. Although groggy from her violent contact with the dumpster, Shannon still had some fight in her, looking up at the apparition with wide shocked eyes (she couldn’t imagine anything as ugly as the thing standing over her) she knocked the hand that reached for her away and kicked out with her foot. Her booted foot connected with the creature’s kneecap making it roar with pain and stagger back for a moment.

Retrieving his crossbow, Wesley cursed himself for the fool he was for not reloading after shooting the vampire. However, he might not need it, Shannon had got back to her feet and was forcing the demon back with a brilliantly executed series of punches and kicks that had the creature stunned and staggering away from her. The demon crashed into the wall and stopped retreating, as Shannon came in to finish it off it appeared to rally and lashed out with a taloned hand at the brave girl.

Still lying on the dirty, damp ground (Wesley thought it was the safest place for him at the moment) he watched in horror as his slayer flew through the air leaving a fine mist of blood to mark her passing. In a flash he saw the twin bladed knife that had appeared like magic from the monster’s wrist, its shiny, silver-like metal now stained with the blood of his slayer.

“NOOO!” Wesley cried out in anguish as he pushed himself up into a kneeling position, “YOU BASTARD!”

Reaching under his jacket, Wesley’s hand came into contact with the plastic and metal of the butt of the pistol he carried in a shoulder holster. He knew that against a lot of creatures firearms were less than effective. But there were other things that roamed the night that weren’t, strictly speaking monsters; he knew he wasn’t much of a fighter but an automatic pistol tended to even things out just a little. The monster ignored Wesley’s cry as it moved towards the spot where Shannon lay bleeding on the ground. It raised the double bladed knife about to administer the killing blow, just as Wesley began to fire.

0=0=0=0

Roaring in anger and frustration the Hunter turned away from its downed prey towards the male that knelt two lengths away and fired a hand weapon at him. The Hunter felt the slugs hit it and penetrate its skin only to bury themselves a fingers breath under his tough hide. The slugs from this type of weapon weren’t powerful enough to penetrate his body and hit anything vital, he could safely disarm and ignore the male for a moment while he finished off the more formidable female. 

Turning he strode into the storm of slugs the male sent in his direction, even as the slugs hit him the Hunter recognised the male’s bravery as it didn’t flinch or try to run. It was still firing as he kicked the weapon out of its hand and then struck it across the face rendering it unconscious. Turning back to the female, the Hunter noticed how it had regained its senses and was even now fighting to stand up. Not giving the female a chance to regain its feet and resume its attacks the Hunter raised its gutting knife to bring this prey’s life to a quick and final end.

Just as he was about to bring the double bladed knife sweeping down an alarm pinged urgently for the Hunter’s attention. Freezing in mid strike the Hunter studied the readouts flashing across the head-up-display of his helmet. Cycling his sensors through to heat detection he glanced down at the female’s belly. Fine tuning his sensors he saw what his sensors were warning him about, if he killed this prey now he’d have his Hunting Permit revoked for five cycles, the worst punishment he could imagine.

Roaring in disappointment and anger the Hunter turned to leave the area, now he realised why the male had stood his ground so determinedly. Obviously this must be a breeding pair and the male was protecting his pregnant mate. It was against the rules to kill a pregnant prey and it seemed churlish to kill the male as it had only been trying to protect its mate. Tonight the Hunter would go home empty handed but there would be other nights, other hunts.

0=0=0=0

Pushing Colonel Carter out of the way, Faith threw herself from the still moving Hummer as it drew up outside the entrance to the alley. Clutching her AS2 across her chest she saw the man and the young woman lying on the ground; she could smell the blood and gunsmoke in the air and the odd, bitter scent that she’d noticed coming from the alien she’d killed the night before. Jacking a round into the breach of her weapon she followed her noise towards the dark, blood stained alley.

“MS LEHANE!” Major Finn’s voice came from behind her; but Faith ignored whatever the officer had to say, he could put her on report later.

0=0=0=0

Turning at the shout from a prey, the Hunter saw another prey animal come towards him down the alley. This was a female too, he let his sensors scan her, although they had difficulty penetrating the armour she was wearing, they eventually told him that this female wasn’t carrying young, he could kill this one. Perhaps the night wasn’t going to be wasted after all.

0=0=0=0

Skidding to a halt when she saw the creature, Faith hesitated for just a moment. However, her trance was broken as her eyes picked up on the movement made as the weapon on the alien’s shoulder started to deploy. Throwing herself to one side Faith triggered her weapon. The boom of the AS2’s report echoed up and down the alley as it beat on her ears drowning out all other sound.

Silently the alien staggered back as Faith’s shot hit it in the middle of the chest. The alien’s weapon went off sending a painfully bright bolt of light shooting passed Faith’s head, she felt the heat of its energy against her cheek as it flew over her shoulder. Regaining her feet, Faith fired again and again as she slowly advanced on the alien. Globules of bright florescent green blood flew in all directions as the alien staggered and eventually fell to its knees mortally wounded. Pulling the trigger of her weapon to finish off the creature before it could activate its self destruct device; Faith’s heart froze in her chest as she heard the hammer strike the firing pin and nothing happen.

“God-damn-it!” Faith cursed as she threw the empty weapon to one side.

Drawing her knife she leapt at the monster, catching its arm against her body as it tried to bring its right hand over to touch the control panel on its left arm. Lifting her right arm, Faith brought her combat knife down onto the alien driving it through the monsters skin and flesh, ripping its neck open and sending blood and alien body fluids squirting across herself and the alley. Slowly regaining control of herself, Faith raised the knife ready to stab again; realising that the creature was dead she let go of its head and let it fall to the ground. Looking down at herself she saw she was covered in alien blood again.

“God-dam-it,” she groaned to herself, “not more decontamination?”

“You seem to be making a habit of this, Chief,” Riley came to a halt next to her an M14 held loosely in his hand, he looked down at the dead alien, “if you’re not careful the guys are gonna get jealous. Can’t you leave just one for them?”

“Sorry, Sir,” Faith gasped still slightly out of breath, she wasn’t sure whether Major Finn was joking or not, “I’ll try to hold back next time give your guys a chance.” 

“Major Finn is…?” Colonel Carter ran up for behind and came to a halt when she saw the dead alien lying on the floor. “Oh!” Carter looked from the alien to Faith and Riley, she’d not actually seen what had happened but had heard Faith’s weapon firing, “You okay Ms Lehane?”

“Sure thing ma’am,” Faith grinned before wiping the blade of her knife on her pant’s leg and replacing it in its sheath. “Killing monsters every day gets routine after a while!”

0=0=0=0


	10. Chapter 10

10.

**Jeffersonville, Westside, Wednesday Night.**

“I need some help here!” Willow called urgently as she knelt next to the young woman and tried to stop the bleeding from the terrible wound in her stomach.

Pressing down hard and trying to keep pressure on the wound, Willow watched as the girl’s blood oozed between her fingers.

“It’s okay, ma’am,” a medic knelt down next to Willow, “you can leave her with us now.”

Slowly Willow stood up as she watched the medic and her partner get to work applying dressing and setting up a drip. Backing away slowly, Willow looked down at her blood covered hands; she hadn’t seen so much blood since…well, since a very long time ago. Since Cleveland, since…Willow had mostly stayed in the background of any fighting and hadn’t got her hands ‘dirty’ in a long time; she’d forgotten how warm and sticky blood could be.

Slowly regaining her perspective, Willow looked around as Hummers drew up and the area filled up with Riley’s soldiers. Turning towards where the alien lay, she saw Faith being hustled away by guys in hazmat suits. Other suited figures were rolling the alien on to a plastic sheet in preparation for putting the body on a stretcher and taking it away to some secret military lab somewhere.

Looking at her bloody hands again, Willow noticed that the blood was starting to run; why was that happening she asked herself? It had started to rain; the rain drops were washing the blood from her hands; how much blood is on your hands, Willow Rosenberg, she asked herself. Shaking her head, Willow told her subconscious to stop asking her stupid questions. Saying the words of a cleansing spell, she watched as the blood vanished from her fingers.

“Right, good, better,” Willow smiled, “now let’s get back to work.”

Walking over to where the men in the hazmat suits worked, she found herself standing next to Colonel Carter. The air force officer was standing watching the Rangers work; she had the manic grin of a scientist with a new toy. Glancing at Willow, Carter’s grin got even wider.

“It’s fantastic!” Carter whispered seemingly frightened to speak too loudly in case the alien heard and got up and walked away, “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“You see a lot of aliens in your line of work, Colonel?” Willow asked her own lips quirking into a smile.

“As a matter of fact I do,” Carter replied; the young woman worked with Major Finn so she was obviously cleared for some pretty weird stuff, as long as she didn’t tell her too much there was no harm in telling her a little. “And call me Sam, its Willow isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Willow glanced at Sam Carter and then looked back at the alien’s body; the soldiers were almost ready to put it in the back of a Humvee that had been backed up the alley. “You really see lots of aliens?”

“Yeah,” Carter nodded her head slowly.

“Wow,” Willow commented, “that’s like way cool…I see demons.”

“Demons?” Carter turned slowly to look at Willow.

“Amongst other things,” Willow replied as the alien was slid into the back of the Humvee, “and I do magic.”

“Magic?” Carter was thinking that either the woman beside her was seriously disturbed or people weren’t telling her things that she needed to know.

To forestall Sam’s next question, Willow cast a ‘tinker-belle light’ spell. Watching the look of wonder and amusement on Carter’s face as she followed the little lights dancing around her, Willow couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course,” Carter tore her eyes away from the pretty lights, “there’s no such thing as magic, its just technology we don’t understand.”

“Like there’s no such thing as aliens,” Willow countered, “they’re just demons we’ve not met yet.”

“Of course;” Carter agreed before adding, “we must do lunch when all this is over.”

“Sure,” Willow nodded, “that would be nice.”

“Sorry,” Carter started to walk towards the Hummer containing the alien’s body, “I’ve got to go, alien tech to study, y’know?”

“Sure,” Willow found herself waving to Sam, “I’ll call you!” Watching as Sam climbed into the Hummer with the dead alien, Willow sighed quietly, “Nice lady,” she told herself before turning and walking away to find Riley.

0=0=0=0

Standing in the shadows and nursing the gash on his head, Wesley watched as the army ambulance drove off with Shannon inside it. Hopefully, he told himself, they’d take her to a local hospital. As long as they did that and not take her to some secret military lab and do unspeakable experiments on her, he’d be able to find her and get her out of the army’s clutches. 

He’d recognised the soldiers for who they were, the fact that they worn no badges on their uniforms didn’t fool him for an instant. These were the men of the Six-hundred-and-thirteenth Independent Ranger Company, the US Army’s monster squad. Looking at the blood on his hand, Wesley laughed bitterly, Monster Squad indeed, he thought. A monster squad that employed monsters like Lehane to do its dirty work for it.

After the demon had hit him, Wesley could remember lying there going in and out of consciousness. He remembered seeing the demon lift his weapon to kill Shannon; the next thing he could remember was the roar of some huge firearm and the demon staggering back down the alley away from its attacker. At some point he must have blacked out again because the next thing he remembered was the distinctive sound of military vehicles pulling up all around him.

Before the troops had got themselves properly organised, Wesley had managed to crawl away into the shadows. Pushing himself to his feet he’d seen them take away Shannon’s still form and put the demon into the back of one of their jeeps. Fighting down the feeling of nausea caused by his head wound, Wes stumbled away from the scene and towards his bike. He had a first aid kit and he needed to do something about the cut on his forehead. Next, he’d need to find Shannon and get her out from the clutches of the military. Once his slayer was safe the next thing he needed to do was to find a bigger gun. From the snatches of conversation he’d overheard and adding in the reports of mysterious deaths on the local news, Wesley guessed that there were more demons out there. He was a rogue demon hunter and these things sounded like rogue demons, they needed to die.

0=0=0=0

**Mercy Hospital, Jeffersonville.**

Looking out of the windshield as the Hummer pulled up into the hospital parking lot, Riley sighed. There was a big crowd of reporters almost rioting by the entrance to the ER. He watched in disgust as an ambulance pulled up, the paramedics unloaded a gurney with a body on it and tried to make their way through the press of reporters to the door of the ER. Cameras flashed, lights for TV cameras bathed the area in harsh white glare and reporters asked stupid questions, like; ‘How do you feel about your guts hanging out onto the floor?’

All the way over to the hospital, he’d been listening to the reports coming in on the civilian news and the police radios. It had been a bad night for Jeffersonville; the aliens, on the other hand had had a field day. From what he’d gleaned from the police radio, JCPD had lost maybe half-a-dozen officers killed and twice that many injured. Civilian casualties were simply horrendous. Yet the State Department and the DOD, were still saying this was a local matter. The Mayor and the chief of police were saying there was a major gang war going on and they’d soon deal with it.

While all this was going on the press were screaming about corruption in the mayor’s office and the incompetence of the police. When they weren’t doing this they were spreading panic. There’d already been reports of a steady increase in the number of people leaving town. If only he’d been put in charge. The first thing Riley would have done would have been to cordon off the hospital and push the press jackals back to where they couldn’t do any harm. Impose a curfew and then flood the city with troops, then he’d turn the place upside down until they’d found and killed the aliens. Of course that was never going to happen.

“Walker,” Riley turned around to his driver, “as soon as the press see me they’re going to try and ask me questions. When I don’t answer they’re going to try you.”

“Don’t worry, Major,” Walker nodded, “I know the drill, say nothing.”

“Good man,” looking into back of the Hummer, Riley asked, “you ready for this, Willow?”

“Sure,” Willow smiled evilly for a moment, “y’know I could so totally do a spell.”

“What,” Riley laughed, “turn them all into mice?”

“It’s a thought.” Willow agreed with a grin.

“Better not,” Riley signed wearily as he pushed open his door, “come on, lets get this over with.”

They were at the hospital to try and find out what the girl had seen when the alien attacked her. They also wanted to know why the alien had attacked her and then not finished her off when it’d had the chance. From the reports they’d seen about alien attacks, it would appear that the aliens followed a set of rules. Attacking unarmed people and women in particular was a big ‘no-no’ for them. So what had the girl been doing that had caused the alien to attack her and why had it stopped?

They hit the edge of the scrum of reporters’ only moments after getting out of the Hummer. Microphones and camera lenses were thrust in their faces. Riley just kept saying ‘no comment’ to every question he was asked while Willow pulled down the peek of her cap and looked at the floor. At the door to the ER they were stopped by two police officers who’d been keeping the press from over running the hospital. Riley flashed them his military ID before pushing Willow through the door in front of him.

Coming to a dead stop as she came into the ER, Willow looked around at a scene from hell. Overworked doctors and nurses rushed backwards and forwards under the starkly bright lights. Blood and used dressings littered the floor as the wounded moaned in pain where they lay on trolleys and on examination couches.

“This has got to stop,” Willow told Riley as he came to stand beside her, “four of those bastards did this…”

“Look, Willow,” Riley shook his head in sorrow, “if they won’t let us evacuate the city we’re going to get high casualties.”

“But if they let us do that,” Willow’s lips formed a hard line across her face, “they’d have to say what was really going on…and we couldn’t have that now could we?”

“Hey,” Riley shrugged as he walked over towards the reception desk, “next you’ll be saying we should tell people that 'Santa Claws' exists!”

“Hey,” Willow replied, “who do you think I am? I mean if you totally told people enough so they could defend themselves we’d be out of a job!”

“Hi,” Riley smiled down at the harassed receptionist behind her desk.

“What can I do for the army tonight?” The woman replied tiredly, she was about forty, Willow guessed and her glasses were on crookedly.

“Look, I know you’re busy,” Riley used his famous, ‘Harmless Iowa Farm Boy’ persona on the woman, “but we’re looking for a young woman with a severe stomach wound, she’d have been brought in about midnight.”

“Name?” Demanded the receptionist.

“What?” Riley frowned.

“The name of the patient?” Explained the woman.

“I-I…” Riley looked at Willow for help.

A determined look came to Willow’s face as she ripped her way into the receptionist’s mind.

“Room one-one-five,” Willow told a surprised looking Riley, “hey, don’t worry she’ll recover in a minute or so.”

Moving away from the reception desk, Willow led the search for room one-one-five.

0=0=0=0

**Adams Motel, Jeffersonville.**

Towelling her hair dry, Faith looked up at the sound of a knock on the door.

“Come in!” she called after checking that the towel around her body was secure.

“New uniform ma’am,” the female corporal announced as she closed the door behind her.

“Don’t call me ma…” Faith stopped herself from completing what she’d been about to say; she’d been telling people not to call her ‘ma’am’ for so long now it was almost second nature, but now she really was a ‘Ma’am’ even if it was only temporary. “Thanks,” Faith said instead, “put it on the bed please.”

“I hope it all fits,” the corporal said as she laid out Faith’s new clothes, “I had to guess at your size and you wouldn’t believe the trouble I had finding underwear at this time of night.”

“No problem, Corporal…?” Faith discarded her towel onto the floor.

“Corporal Price, Ma’am, I work in the company stores,” Price hesitated before adding, “if there’s anything else you want, just ask and I’ll see what I can do.”

“You deal with weapons, Corporal Price?” Faith asked as she threw her towel to one side and started to pull on her clean underwear.

“Yes, Ma’am!” Price started to take a keen interest in the room’s ceiling so she wouldn’t have to look at the semi-naked Warrant Officer.

“Good,” Faith now dressed in new, clean, dry underwear nodded her head in satisfaction, “I’ll be along to see you after I dress and…” Faith smiled at the young woman, “…good guess at the size.”

“Thank-you Ma’am,” Price smiled shyly before asking, “Is it true what they’re saying that you took down both of those alien things?”

“Yeah, why?” Faith asked as she pulled on her pants.

“Just…” Price seemed lost for words for a moment, “Just…wow, Ma’am!”

“Ha!” Faith laughed, “Okay, Corporal, you’re dismissed. I’ll see ya in ten minutes, okay?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” after bracing to attention, Corporal Price left the room closing the door firmly behind her.

Smiling to herself, Faith sat down on the bed and started to put on her new boots. All her old uniform would probably be burnt as it was covered in alien blood; she really hoped that Colonel Carter or someone would decide that the alien’s blood wasn’t dangerous. If she had to go through decontamination once more she felt sure that she’d scrub the flesh right off her bones and the chemicals they put in the shower water…god only knew what it was doing to her hair.

So, the trick would seem to be, not to get covered in alien blood and for that to happen she needed to keep away from the things and stop killing them with her knife. The shotgun appeared to be the way to go. It had really knocked the alien back on his heels but it’d still not put him down. As Faith saw it she needed a bigger bullet and a bigger magazine capacity the next time she came up against one of those things and she really hoped that Corporal Price would be able to supply both.

0=0=0=0

**Mercy Hospital, Jeffersonville.**

Opening the door to room one-one-five, Willow was the first in so was the first to see that the bed was empty.

“Damn-it!” she cried as she advanced into the room as if she expected the girl who should be lying in the bed to be hiding behind the door or something, “No one should be able to get up with a hole in them like that!”

“Maybe, she didn’t get up by herself,” Riley said as he examined the drip lines and the wires leading to monitors all of which had been carefully removed.

“You don’t mean…” for a moment Willow thought that the alien might have come to finish her off; however the lack of gallons of blood on the floor and alien shaped holes in the wall would seem to suggest otherwise.

“She could be someone else’s agent,” Riley suggested, “I mean we can’t be the only people after these things and it would explain why the alien attacked her in the first place.”

“But it doesn’t explain why it didn’t kill her,” Willow pointed out as she picked up the chart from the end of the bed and started to read it; after only a moment she looked at Riley, “You say the aliens won’t kill pregnant women?”

“As far as we know,” Riley agreed.

“Mystery solved then,” Willow tossed the chart onto the empty bed, “Our secret agent girl, or whoever she is, is just a little bit pregnant!”

0=0=0=0

Moving quickly, Wesley pushed the trolley containing Shannon’s sleeping body down the corridor to a rear door. Leaving her for just a moment, Wesley looked out of the door and into the night. The ambulance he’d stolen earlier was still waiting outside with its doors wide open ready for him to put Shannon into the back.

After patching himself up, Wesley had taken a chance and ridden his bike to Mercy Hospital. Finding his way into the hospital proper he’d stolen some dressings, slipped into an empty office and done a better job of dressing the cut on his head. Next he’d stolen some scrubs put them on and become invisible amongst all the other hospital personnel who were dressed exactly like him.

It'd only taken twenty minutes or so for him to find Shannon. Much to his surprise he’d found that after she’d been treated she’d been left in a private room monitored only by machines. Wesley was a clever man, despite whatever anyone else might think, looking down at Shannon’s poor abused body it didn’t take him more than a few minutes to work out a viable plan for removing her from the hospital and the clutches of monsters like Lehane.

Going back to Shannon’s trolley, Wesley pushed her out of the door to the waiting ambulance. Manoeuvring the trolley into the back of the vehicle, Wesley climbed up inside and locked the door securely behind him. Standing over his wounded slayer, he strapped her down so she wouldn’t fall onto the floor if he had to take evasive action.

“Don’t worry my dear,” he told the sleeping girl, “I’ll soon have you safe and well again.”

0=0=0=0


	11. Chapter 11

11.

**The Long Street Mall, Jeffersonville, Thursday morning.**

Watching the monitors Agent Garber didn’t notice Special Agent Keyes enter the command trailer via the doorway behind him. Walking the length of the trailer to where Garber sat, Keyes bent down slightly so he could see what Garber was looking at so intently before he sat down himself.

“Tell me what I’m looking at?” Keyes asked the junior agent.

“These are feeds directly from the security cameras in the mall,” Garber gestured to the monitors; studying the CCTV pictures Keyes saw the first of the early morning shoppers moving about the mall. “Long Street Mall was only completed last year,” Garber explained, “and it has a state of the art security system run from a control room here…” Garber typed out an order on the keyboard in front of him; a picture of the inside of a control room sprang to life on one of the monitors. “We’ve been able to hack into their systems, now we can run everything from here.”

“Good work, Garber,” Keyes congratulated his agent quietly.

“When our people enter the mall and start the operation,” Garber turned away from the monitors and looked directly at his boss, “we’ll be able to lock the doors from here and keep everyone inside…”

“…and give our ‘out of town visitors’ a target rich environment,” Keyes’ smile got wider, “what happens when the police arrive?”

“Of course when that happens we’re going to lose some control over the situation,” Gerber replied soberly, “But we’ll still be able to follow events from here and hopefully slow down any police reaction.”

“And of course,” Keyes sat back in his seat and rubbed his temple with the forefinger of his right hand, “there’s going to be a lot of panic.”

“Indeed, sir,” Garber agreed.

“Even so,” Keyes studied the monitors once more, “we’ll need to get the capture team moving almost as soon as our friends show up.”

“Let’s hope they’re not tardy,” Garber allowed a quick smirk to cross his otherwise impassive face, “Who did you chose for the raider team?”

“Curry and Hayes,” Keyes replied quietly.

“Both good men sir,” Garber agreed; the chances were that neither of the two agents chosen to carry out the bank robbery that would initiate the operation would survive the day, “When do you want to start?”

“Oh,” Keyes looked at his watch then up at the monitors, “give it another hour or so,” Keyes smiled broadly, “we want the shops to be full before we begin.”

0=0=0=0

**The Adams Motel, Jeffersonville.**

Sitting in what had become known as the Company CP; Faith amused herself by watching the news broadcasts on the TV in the corner of the room. It was fairly obvious to her that the media had no idea what the hell was going on. They were still going with the gang-war scenario being put out by the mayor’s office, however, one or two of the more thoughtful reporters were commenting on why a company of US Army Rangers had suddenly turned up just after the air crash of a few days ago. So far no one had connected the Rangers to the mayhem going on in the city and the air crash itself had been almost completely forgotten. Just as yet another talking head appeared on the screen and started a rant about the corruption in the mayor’s office, the door opened behind Faith; twisting in her seat she turned to see who’d come in.

“Hi everyone,” Willow called cheerily, “how’s it goin’?”

“Nothing since last night,” Riley replied as he looked up from the map he’d been studying. “I sent a recon team down to the docks where we saw the aliens concentrated…”

“And…?” Willow sounded hopeful.

“Nothing,” Riley shook his head slowly, “they must be changing their base location almost every night,” he sighed heavily. “Next time we get any hint of where they’re based we head straight for it, this has got to stop.”

“Yeah right,” Willow agreed heartily, “in the mean time I need to go shopping…”

“Shopping!?” Riley looked at Willow incredulously, “This isn’t a holiday, Willow.”

Faith stifled the bark of laughter that almost burst from her mouth.

“I know that,” Willow replied defensively, “but I need stuff…”

Faith had noticed that Willow was wearing jeans and a civilian jacket this morning.

“What sort of stuff?” Riley persisted.

“You know…” Willow shrugged, “…girl stuff and magic stuff.”

“Oh!” Riley looked slightly embarrassed for a second or two, “Okay then, but you can’t go by yourself I’ll send some of the guys with you.”

“RILEY!” Willow squeaked angrily.

“What?” It was obvious that Riley didn’t understand why Willow was getting so uptight.

“I’m not going shopping for…” Willow paused and looked uncomfortable for a moment, “…for, y’know, ‘girlie stuff’ with a bunch of soldiers clumping around after me!”

“Excuse me,” Faith thought it was time for her to intervene, however amusing this conversation might be, “Sir, ma’am, I could go.” Faith got slowly to her feet, “All I’m doing is watching the news broadcasts.”

“Good idea Chief,” Riley agreed almost immediately before turning to face Willow, “will that be alright with you.”

“Sure!” Willow smiled eagerly.

“Okay then, Chief,” Riley looked back to Faith, “Draw a sidearm from the Quartermaster and take one of the Humvees.”

“On it Sir,” Faith braced to attention before saluting and leaving the room.

Heading along the line of motel rooms towards where the Quartermaster had his temporary stores, Faith checked out the activity around the parking lot; or should that be the inactivity. Apart from two or three Rangers who appeared to be guarding the company’s vehicles there didn’t seem to be much of anything going on. Faith suspected that most of everyone was getting their heads down, unlike her most people needed more than a couple of hours sleep a night. As most of the action was going on at night people needed to be well rested and sharp or they’d end up dead. Finding herself outside the stores Faith walked into the room to find it full of boxes and bundles of personal equipment, these ranger guys certainly came prepared.

“Hi Chief,” Corporal Price appeared from behind a pile of body armour, “what can I do for you today?”

“I need a sidearm,” Faith replied as she cast her eyes over all the gear almost filling the room to bursting point, “and you better give me a belt, holster and an ammo pouch.”

“Sure thing,” Price disappeared for a moment before reappearing with the equipment Faith had wanted, “here.”

Taking the belt, Faith adjusted it to fit her waist before putting it on; taking the 9mm pistol she checked that it was loaded and put it in the holster on the belt. Next she slipped the two spare magazines into the ammo pouch, as she did so she hesitated. Catching the thought that was going through Faith’s mind Price passed her four more loaded magazines for the pistol.

“Just in case, Chief,” she grinned at her.

“Thanks,” Faith slipped the magazines into a pocket, “I need keys for one of the Hummers too.”

“Not a problem,” Price turned away and studied a board hung with keys, “we’re a one stop shop for all your military needs,” she tossed the keys to Faith, “that other stuff you wanted, Chief.”

“Yeah?” Faith looked at the young corporal expectantly.

“Be here tomorrow morning,” Price informed her.

“Thanks,” smiling her thanks, Faith tossed the keys up in the air before catching them and turning to go; she thought she might like to work for Major Finn on a regular basis. Store-persons who didn’t argue about issuing equipment were a major plus. After finding the Humvee, Faith drove it around to pick up Willow.

“Ready Ma’am,” Faith called as she stuck her head into Major Finn’s office.

“Have her back by,” Riley checked his watch, “thirteen hundred at the latest, Chief.”

“Hey,” Willow complained, “this isn’t a date and you’re so not my dad!”

“But,” Riley smiled in a fatherly way, “for the time being I am, for all intents and purposes, your commanding officer; I don’t want one of my major assets hanging out at the mall all day!”

“Yes, dad,” Willow muttered as she headed for the door.

“Don’t worry, sir,” Faith smirked, “I’ll have her home before curfew.”

“Not you as well?” Willow complained as she followed Faith towards the Hummer, “And what's with all the ‘ma’am’ stuff? I thought we were on first name terms.”

“That’s for the officers, ma…sorry, Willow,” Faith opened the doors of the Humvee and climbed into the driver’s side. “Y’know, when we’re working.”

“Oh I see,” Willow nodded her head, “So, we can only call each other by our names while we’re alone, so what do I call you in the mean time?”

“Everyone seems to call me ‘Chief’ now,” Faith explained as she started the engine and drove the Hummer towards the main road into Jeffersonville.

“Oh,” Willow frowned, she’d just remembered the trip she’d taken to Faith’s house the previous day, “Erm, we won’t be going fast will we?”

“You in a hurry?” Faith halted the Hummer just where the parking lot met the main road.

“NO!” Willow shook her head, “So not in a hurry, in fact take your time.”

“Sure,” Faith shrugged as she pulled out onto the main road, “not a problem.”

As they drove along at a sedate thirty-miles-an-hour, Willow sat back in her seat and studied Faith out of the corner of her eye. She remembered how when Faith had first turned up in Sunnydale that she’d quite liked her, but that was before she’d turned evil. That young, wild, Faith had called to some rebellious spirit in Willow’s soul that she normally kept well hidden from her friends. Of course what with all the turning evil and working for Mayor Wilkins and trying to kill Buffy, Willow had lost any attraction she might feel for Faith…until now.

The years had been kind to Faith, or so Willow told herself, Faith didn’t look much different to how she remembered her from Sunnydale. Faith must be twenty-six or seven now; Willow although being a year or so younger than Faith felt and she admitted to herself, looked older. The magics and all the late nights took their toll, every morning Willow noticed a few more lines around her eyes. Okay, so a quick glamour spell could deal with crows feet better than any cosmetic cream, but that didn’t alter the fact that she looked older than her years. People were starting to call her ‘ma’am’ in that same tone of voice that you used to teachers who’d taught you in elementary school.

The Hummer rolled to a stop at some traffic lights and Willow found herself studying Faith closely as she waited for the signals to change. ‘Oh my goddess’, Willow thought as she noted the similarity. Although Faith had her hair done up in a bun on the back of her head the similarity between Faith and Kennedy was quite uncanny. The thought suddenly hit her that the reason she’d been so attracted to Kennedy was that she reminded her of Faith. A sort of safe version of Faith, was this her _type_ Willow wondered?

Her relationship with Kennedy hadn’t lasted long after Sunnydale, they’d tried to make it work and for the most part it was fun. But, they’d been too different, apart from the sex and the monsters they’d had little in common. Willow remembered the day Kennedy had come to her and admitted she’d found someone else, another slayer, and that they should split up. Willow remembered the tears in Kennedy’s eyes, but all she’d felt after the initial shock was relief that it was over and it’d not been her who’d had to say they were through. They were still friends, they went out for dinner or a show whenever they were in town together, it was all very civilised; but it didn’t change the fact that Willow was all alone now.

“So, where d’ya wanna go?” Faith’s voice snapped Willow out of her daydreaming; it was only a short drive into Jeffersonville and it looked as if they were there.

“Erm,” Willow searched her pockets for the scrap of paper with the address on it, “here we are,” she unfolded the note, “the Long Street Mall,”

“Got it,” Faith pulled out into the traffic and turned left, “I know where that is.”

Driving down the streets of Jeffersonville, Willow noted how quiet things looked, she mentioned this to Faith.

“Yeah,” Faith nodded her head in agreement, “remember everyone thinks there’s a gang war going on…”

“Oh yeah,” Willow smiled, how could she forget?

“The news I was watching before you came in,” Faith steered the Humvee through the light traffic without causing Willow’s heart to race with fear, “it had some guy from the local chamber of commerce or somethin’…yeah, that’s it, he was complaining that it was ruining business.”

“Ha!” Willow laughed, “If only he knew the truth.”

“Nah,” Faith shook her head and Willow wished Faith’s hair wasn’t done up in a bun, “wouldn’t make any difference…here we are.”

Turning off the main road Faith drove the Hummer down into the parking lot under the mall.

0=0=0=0

**Wesley’s motel room, Jeffersonville.**

Sitting in the semi darkness of his room, Wes watched as Shannon slept peacefully in his bed. If there was one thing he was thankful to the new Watches Council for, it was their insistence that all watchers and prospective watchers should go on intensive first aid courses. To be honest he’d wondered why the old council hadn’t bothered with such things; but then it had hit him, they hadn’t cared. What was it to them if a girl died of her injuries there’d always be another girl to replace her.

This thought had only come to him as he’d redressed Shannon’s wounds and injected the painkillers into her drip feed. At first the thought had shocked him, but as he’d sat and watched the girl…no, the young woman, he suddenly realised he was in love with her. That was when he’d started to question a lot of things that he’d always accepted without question. Chief amongst these was the old council had always been right and the new wrong. Now he realised how Rupert Giles must have felt when Buffy had died or had been injured. The council had not lifted a finger to help or offer support. 

However, these thoughts were keeping him from what he should be doing. When he’d removed Shannon’s old dressing he’d noted that her injuries were already beginning to heal. He estimated that by tomorrow evening she’d be wanting to get up and after the demon that’d injured her. Of course he wouldn’t let her; that could wait until the day after. In the mean time he needed to get rid of his useless motorbike and get something with more wheels. He also needed a bigger gun or guns. He’d been researching on the internet and was wondering if he could get his hands on a .50 calibre Desert Eagle or a .45 calibre pistol of some kind. There were also several shotguns that might fill his needs.

Wesley had always been a thoughtful man and he was far from stupid although he now admitted (if only to himself) that was how he must have appeared to others. In the long dark hours of watching over Shannon he’d put his mind to ways of killing the demon. He’d pumped twelve or thirteen rounds into the monster and it hadn’t even slowed down. His mind pondered why you could hurt so many demons with swords but not with bullets. The reason was startlingly obvious and he wondered why no one had seen it before. Swords, axes and other edged weapons were basically made from iron, bullets weren’t. Iron had always been the best defence against the fiends from hell; now if he could make bullets from iron, things might just change for the better. He smiled as he watched Shannon stir in her sleep, with bullets that would kill at least some demons his slayer need not put herself in danger ever again.

0=0=0=0

**The Long Street Mall, Jeffersonville.**

After taking the elevator up from the parking lot into the mall proper, Faith and Willow stepped out into the brightly lit shopping centre. Although it was well past mid-morning there weren’t a lot of people around, the place wasn’t deserted but it was far from crowded.

“Where to?” Faith asked as she watched the people walk by; one or two cast the two women curious glances asking themselves why an armed, female soldier was in the mall with a woman in civilian clothes; but, no one stopped to ask, which was just as well because apart from ‘shopping’ Faith didn’t have a good answer for them.

“The Mystic Palace,” Willow informed Faith after consulting her scrap of paper, “It’s a magic shop.”

“Say what?” Faith asked as they walked slowly along between the shops, “Like with card tricks?”

“No!” Willow laughed lightly, she realised how weird this must sound, “Look, have you wondered how I tracked those monsters?”

“I thought ya used some new tech gadget like Colonel Carter,” Faith replied as she scanned the shop fronts for a magic shop.

“No,” Willow shook her head, “I use magic.”

“Magic?” Faith looked across at the woman beside her, she seemed so sure of herself and normal, not like an insane person at all.

“Yeah, it’s hard to explain,” Willow frowned, “I’m a witch you see…” Willow felt justified in telling Faith this because she knew stuff about Faith that even Faith didn’t know, it sort of made her feel less guilty about keeping things hidden from her.

“Yeah, right,” Faith shook her head disbelievingly.

“Look,” Willow frowned but she was used to this sort of reaction, “when we get somewhere less public I’ll show you, now until then we…”

“Hold it,” Faith held onto Willow’s arm bringing her to a halt; all of a sudden her spooky powers were yelling at her and she had a bad case of the ‘ambush cramps’, “lets get under cover, huh?”

0=0=0=0


	12. Chapter 12

12.

**The Long Street Mall, Jeffersonville.**

“Under cover?” Willow looked nervously at Faith, “What’s wrong?”

“Ambush cramps,” Faith replied as she pulled Willow into the doorway of a large clothing store.

“Ambush cramps?” as soon as the words here out of Willow’s mouth she realised what Faith meant; this must be what Faith called the cramps slayers often got when there was danger about.

“They’re like period cramps,” Faith explained as she cast her eyes up and down the mall looking for the cause of her unease, “but I get them before I get ambushed.”

Seeing nothing obviously dangerous, Faith relaxed, but only a little. The feeling she had in her stomach was particularly intense, more intense than a normal attack of ‘ambush cramps’. Normally it was like a slight ‘stitch’ like if you were running, but today it was like someone was twisting a knife in her gut.

“Come on,” Faith reached out and took hold of Willow’s arm, “lets get outta here.”

Pulling Willow gently but firmly towards an elevator, Faith’s plan was to get back down to the parking lot under the building and into the Hummer. They could then get out into the open and call for back-up once she’d worked out what was going down. Seeing an elevator, Faith moved rapidly towards it, she pressed the call button, nothing happened, she pressed it again, still nothing happened. Frantically she pressed the call button for the elevator next to the one she’d been trying to use, again nothing happened.

“God damn it!” Faith cursed, “What the hell’s wrong with this place!?”

0=0=0=0

**First Bank of Jeffersonville, The Long Street Mall.**

“EVERYBODY DOWN ON THE GROUND!” Agent Curry yelled as he and his partner burst into the bank, he waved the MP5 in his hand around to reinforce his words.

“HE SAID DOWN!” Agent Hayes rammed the barrel of his MP5 into the stomach of a customer who was just a little slow in obeying orders.

Striding over to the counter, Curry reached across it and grabbed hold of a terrified teller ripping her blouse as he did so, ignoring the young woman’s exposed flesh he slammed a canvas bag on the counter.

“FILL IT UP!” He ordered, turning to look at his partner, he nodded almost imperceptibly; it was time to start on the next part of the plan.

The plan called for violence to draw the attention of the aliens and the best way of doing that was to start a firefight with the mall’s security force so the police swat team would be called in. As luck would have it a couple of security guys were just walking through the main door of the bank. Swinging around Hayes triggered his weapon and killed the man and woman as they stepped into the bank. The hostages lying on the floor of the bank screamed or cried out in panic at the burst of fire. Looking out into the mall itself Hayes could see shoppers pause and look around before starting to move towards what they thought was safety; he also saw another two security guards start to move towards the bank with their guns drawn.

Sighting over the top of his weapon, Hayes drew a bead on the lead guard. He fired a long burst, his bullets hitting one guard and sending the other scurrying for cover behind a planter. Spraying fire indiscriminately across the concourse, Hayes saw several civilians drop as they were hit by his wildly fired rounds. Stopping to change magazines, Hayes watched as screaming people dived for cover behind potted palms and into shop fronts. This was good, this was what the plan called for, but if they wanted to attract the aliens they needed more death and mayhem.

“YOU!” Hayes turned from the doorway and roughly pulled a woman to her feet, “AND YOU!” Kicking several more customers until they stood up, he gestured towards the door with the smoking barrel of his gun, “OUT!”

Terrified the customers stumbled from the bank out onto the concourse, standing uncertainly out in the open with their hands in the air they waited for instructions. None came, instead Hayes emptied his magazine into their backs and watched them fall. Smiling he stepped back from the door way and changed the magazine on his gun for a second time; if this didn’t attract the attention of the aliens they still had plenty of hostages left.

0=0=0=0

At the first sound of gunfire, Faith pulled her pistol from its holster, pulling back the slide she loaded the first round. Pulling Willow down beside her she knelt behind a concrete planter that looked robust enough to stop anti-tank rounds. Peering over the top of the planter and through the leaves of the plants, Faith tried to work out what was going on. There was another burst of firing, longer this time, she could her people screaming in fear and the sound of many running feet. Her natural instinct was to move towards the sound of combat and take on whatever she found there, but today she was responsible for Willow.

“Damn,” Faith cursed under her breath; looking around she saw people standing around uncertain what to do, it was time for her to take charge. “OKAY PEOPLE!” Faith jumped up from behind the planter pulling Willow to her feet as she did so, “MOVE BACK INTO COVER,” Faith started to push the occasional shopper towards the inside of the stores lining the concourse, very quickly people started to get the idea and Faith and Willow where soon the only ones left out in the open.

“What do we do now?” Willow asked quietly as she came to stand next to Faith.

“Phone?” Faith turned to glance at Willow, “Have you got your cellphone?”

“Yeah!” Willow started to search her pockets, “Call Riley and get him and some of his guys over here, right!”

“Not a bad idea,” Faith thought as she walked to look over the edge of the concourse to the level below, she’d actually been going to suggest that Willow call the police, however a dozen or so heavily armed Army Rangers was a better idea.

There was a long burst of firing, followed by a lot of screaming, listening carefully Faith realised that all the action was two levels below them on the ground floor.

“Faith!” Willow looked up from her phone.

“What’s wrong?” Faith went to stand next to Willow.

“Someone’s blocking the signals, I can’t get through,” Willow replied.

“Damn-it-all!” Just for a moment Faith was at a loss at what to do next.

“Hold on, I’ll try something,” holding the phone tightly in her hand, Willow muttered the words of a spell over the phone; after dialing again she put the phone to her ear. “Riley?” Willow could hear indistinct sounds that might have been Riley’s voice at the other end of her phone, “Long Street Mall,” Willow decided to keep her message short and to the point, “We need help, come quick!”

The phone went dead.

“Did you get through?” Faith asked hopefully.

“Don’t know,” Willow shrugged helplessly.

0=0=0=0

Down on the street outside the Mall, Officer Cassidy pulled the riot gun from the trunk of his patrol car before he went to join his partner, Officer White. They’d got the call to the mall only seconds before and they were the first police officers on the scene. Knowing that it would take time for back up to arrive, they realised that for the next few minutes at least, they were in charge. The last few days had taken its toll on the JCPD, more than a dozen officers had been killed and three times that number injured. Even with all leave cancelled and officers’ not taking days off and working double shifts, the JCPD were stretched beyond their limits. There’d been talk about calling in the National Guard as well as getting help from surrounding PD’s.

“Let’s go!” Drawing his sidearm Officer White led the way towards the main entrance of the mall.

Running up to the door he could see the faces of terrified people pressed up against the glass doors.

“Damn-it!” White slid to a halt and watched helplessly as the people banged on the door trying to get out; the door must have locked automatically trapping everyone inside.

“We’ve gotta get them out,” Cassidy stated the obvious.

White tried to yell through the door in an attempt to get the people to stand back so he could put a couple of rounds through the door and break the glass that way. But either the people couldn’t hear him or they were panicking too much to understand what he wanted them to do. There was nothing for it; lifting his gun, White aimed at the glass above the heads of the people inside. Just before he fired the people closest to the glass realised what he was going to do and tried to back off but were prevented from doing so by the press of people behind them.

Firing twice, White saw the glass shatter and the first civilian fall through the door to land on the pavement. Yelling for people to stand back and calm down, White and Cassidy began to pull the panicking people through the door towards safety. Hearing sirens behind him Cassidy turned hoping to see that their back-up had arrived. Unfortunately it wasn’t back up, it was a fire truck.

“We were passing and we heard the call,” called a firefighter as he clumped over in his heavy boots.

“Help us get these people out!” Cassidy cried.

Waving his brother firefighters over the lead firefighter started to help the two police officers evacuate the struggling people.

0=0=0=0

Moving cautiously along the concourse, Faith was ready to blast anything that showed itself to be hostile. Her initial thought was that someone was taking advantage of the local PD’s stretched resources and had taken the opportunity to rob a bank or something. Whatever was going on, it was her duty to protect the people around her and get them to safety, which was what she was trying to do now.

Having left Willow at the store front, Faith had set off to find a way out, seeing a sign for a fire door, she moved quickly towards the promise of an exit. Moving rapidly up to the door she burst through holding her weapon out in front of her; her sudden appearance was greeted by a chorus of female screams.

“God damn it!” Faith muttered under her breath; there pressed against the fire exit at the other end of the short corridor were half a dozen high school girls. “Out of the way!” Faith ordered as she strode down the corridor towards the girls.

Looking at Faith fearfully, the girls made way for her.

“It’s locked, ma’am!” Announced one girl who didn’t look or sound as frightened as the other.

“Don’t call me ma…” Faith stopped herself from completing her automatic come back; if the kid wanted to call her ‘ma’am’, not only was she correct but it was alright by Faith. “Here let me get to that door.”

Sure enough the door was securely locked.

“Can’t you shoot the lock off?” Asked the first girl hopefully, she was a pretty Hispanic girl with long, almost black hair and big brown eyes.

Checking out the door, it was a heavy steel one, Faith decided that her bullets would simply bounce off.

“No,” Faith shook her head before throwing herself at the door, it hardly noticed her body hitting its cold, hard, surface. “You better come with me.”

Leading the girls back towards the concourse, Faith pushed through the doors and was greeted by the sound of automatic fire from below.

0=0=0=0

Taking cover behind a pillar Officer Cassidy waited for the firing to stop. After getting the last of the people out through the door, White and himself had waited for a moment in the hopes that their back up would arrive. When it didn’t they’d advanced through the door and along the lower concourse, sending any civilians they found towards the door where the firemen waited to help them. They’d advanced towards the plaza at the centre of the mall until they’d seen the body of a mall security officer lying in a pool of his own blood. Moving forward to check on the guard, White had come under sustained automatic fire from the opposite side of the plaza. Diving for cover White had remained uninjured while Cassidy had tried to give his buddy covering fire before he too was shot at. Whoever was in the bank seemed to have all the ammunition in the world and wasn’t afraid of using it, as the bodies of several hostages seemed to attest to. Pinned down, the two police officers were out of options until back-up arrived or the perps ran out of bullets.

0=0=0=0

Listening helplessly to the gun battle below, Faith didn’t know what to do. Not only had she got Willow to protect but with the addition of the five high school girls there had to be twenty or so civilians in the shop they were using as cover. All of them were looking to her to save them. Once again, Faith thought how easy it would all be if she was by herself. Using her spooky-super-soldier-powers she could work her way down to ground level and take out the bozos with their guns and the whole situation would be over in five minutes.

But no, she had people to protect, as much as she wanted to she couldn’t leave them here alone, and there was Willow. Not only was she responsible for the redhead she also found herself attracted to the weird young woman who’d been calling herself a witch, smiling to herself, Faith turned to Willow.

“Hey,” Faith grinned, “if you’re a witch can’t you magic us outta here?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Willow started to explain before stopping herself and sighing tiredly, this wasn’t the place or time for a lecture on Magic Theory. “Look there’s a few combat spells I can use if I can see my opponent and maybe another couple of things I can do to help, but…”

“But?” Faith raised an eyebrow.

“But magic takes it out of you its not like special effects at the movies,” Willow replied miserably; for all her power magic wasn’t much use in a fight, after a dozen fireballs she knew she’d be drained and helpless.

“Whatever,” Faith shrugged her shoulders, whatever Willow was into she really believed in it. “Okay,” she whispered, “if you can’t magic us out of here we’ll have to think of another way out.”

“But you said all the doors were locked and the elevators don’t work.” Willow pointed out.

“Yeah,” Faith nodded her head, “but I noticed a stairway.”

“How’s that going to help,” Willow wanted to know, “If we go down to the parking lot I bet the doors will be locked down there too.”

“Right,” Faith agreed, “but I’m thinking we go up, look,” she gestured upwards with her pistol, “skylights are glass and there’s walkways. We get up there I shoot open one of the skylights and we can get out onto the roof and…”

“…and someone takes us off by helicopter,” Willow finished Faith’s plan for her.

“You gotta better idea?” Faith wanted to know, Willow shook her head; turning to face the little crowd of people in the shop with them, Faith projected all the confidence she could. “Listen up, I’ve got a plan to get us outta here…”

Before she could finish what she was saying the skylights one level above her exploded into a shower of glittering shards.

0=0=0=0

“They’re here,” Agent Garber called softly as he watched the monitors in front of him.

“How do they do that?” Keyes asked himself; what was it that drew the aliens to violence, was it some natural instinct or was it some sort of scanner, like radar but for violence.

“We have at least one intruder on level four,” Garber’s fingers played the controls of the CCTV’s like a concert pianist playing his piano. “He seems to be moving rapidly towards the lower levels,” it was hard tracking something that was basically invisible, but you could just do it by watching the effect the alien had on his surroundings.

“Okay,” Keyes smiled as he studied the monitors closely, “let the capture team in.”

Outside in the underground parking lot half a dozen men in bulky silver suits readied their weapons and moved towards a door that would lead up into the main part of the mall. Four of the men carried weapons that wouldn’t appear out of place in a regular infantry squad. The remaining two carried weird bulky weapons attached by pipes to large tanks on their backs. These were the liquid nitrogen guns designed to freeze an alien so it could be stripped of its technology and captured. The ‘freeze guns’ were only short range but the suits the team were wearing would hide the team’s heat signature from the aliens allowing the men to get into range.

Back in the control caravan, Garber told the security computer to unlock a number of doors that would allow the capture team access to the main part of the mall. It was while he was doing this that Garber noticed something he’d not seen before.

“Sir!” He called attracting Keyes attention.

“What?” Keyes turned to look at Garber.

“This sir I’ve just noticed it,” Garber sent a query to the computer and was rewarded my having a schematic appear on a monitor.

“What?” Keyes demanded, he frowned as he looked up at the new set of plans.

“This must be new or we’d have noticed it before,” Garber hit some more keys and watched the result.

“For god’s sake what are you talking about!?” Keyes demanded.

“Sorry, Sir,” Garber turned to look at his boss, “it appears that the entire mall was fitted with storm shutters.”

“How does that help?” Keyes wanted to know.

“I can close them from here,” Garber explained with a smile, “if I shut the fire shutters as well we can seal the entire mall off. No one will be getting in or out without our say so.”

Pondering his subordinate’s idea for a moment, Keyes started to smile. Even though the police response had been slow some people had managed to escape and at least two cops had got into the building. Now the alien had arrived they didn’t want to be disturbed while they captured it.

“Close it down, Garber,” Keyes ordered moments later.

0=0=0=0

“Okay people,” Faith called to her little group after she’d explained her plan, “move fast, keep together and look out for ya buddies.” Dropping her voice Faith spoke to Willow directly, “And you stay right next to me unless I tell ya different,” Willow nodded her head as Faith raised her voice again so everyone could hear. “Okay people lets move like we mean it!”

Leading the little crowd out onto the concourse towards the stairs leading up to the next level, Faith’s stomach started to feel like someone was twisting a red hot knife in her guts.

“Oh shit!” she gasped as she sensed something come towards her and her group.

Raising her weapon Faith noticed it was getting darker. Looking up she saw metal shutters slowly start to cover the skylights above her and the windows at the end of the concourse.

“GOD DAMN IT!” Faith snarled at the injustice of the universe, “Everyone back in the store…NOW!”

0=0=0=0


	13. Chapter 13

13.

**The Long Street Mall.**

“Still no sign of our visitors,” Agent Hayes spoke quietly into the telephone; all cellphones and radios were being jammed, he listened while Keyes told him what to expect before nodding his head and saying “Okay, got that.”

After replacing the phone in its cradle, Hayes walked over to his partner, Curry who was keeping a careful eye on the remaining hostages.

“Keyes says there’s a ‘visitor’ in the mall,” Hayes whispered to his partner who was now watching the concourse outside the bank, “he says we should get out soonest. Where’re those cops?”

“Gone to ground,” Curry gestured with his gun, “what do we do about them?” Turning slightly Curry jerked his chin towards the terrified people cowering on the floor.

“Keyes says leave ‘em,” Hayes replied quietly.

“Okay,” Curry agreed as he looked back outside again; there was still no sign of the two cops they’d exchanged shots with earlier, “those cops must still be out there just waiting for us to show ourselves and be heroes.”

“Gotcha,” Hayes nodded as he pondered the problem; slowly his eyes drifted towards the hostages, “Hey,” he smiled, “got an idea!”

0=0=0=0

“No luck?” Cassidy asked his partner.

“Nah,” White shook his head, he’d been trying to contact the precinct but had got nothing but white-noise on his radio for the last five minutes.

“Okay,” Cassidy sighed, “what do we do?”

“Shit,” cursed White, “we can’t leave ‘em in there, what you got?”

“Three rounds in the riot gun,” Cassidy replied, “and three magazines, you?”

“What’s in my weapon and one spare mag,” White shrugged helplessly, “we’re not going to blast ‘em out with that.”

“Here,” Cassidy passed one of his spare magazines to his partner; both men had back-up pieces strapped to their ankles but that only gave them five or six rounds more.

“Thanks,” White took the spare magazine, “so, we wait them out ‘til back up gets…”

“Hold it!” Cassidy pointed towards the bank, “Something’s happening.”

Looking over the planter that they were sheltering behind, Cassidy and White saw two hostages being pushed roughly out of the bank door. In the eerie silence of the mall they could hear one of the hostages, a teenage girl, sobbing hysterically. As they watched another two hostages were pushed out on to the concourse, the four hostages stood in a huddle blocking the cop’s view of the door.

“HEY COP!” Called a voice from behind the hostages.

“What you want?” Cassidy called back.

“We’re coming out,” explained the voice, “you try to stop us and we’ll kill the hostages.”

“Damn it!” Cassidy spoke quietly to his partner, “What do we do now?”

“Fuck knows,” White shook his head just as a thought came to him, “Hey, how do these two assholes think they’re gonna get outta here?”

Five minutes earlier the security/storm shutters had covered every door and window to the place, they were all effectively trapped inside.

“Shit!” Cassidy slapped his forehead, “They must have someone on the outside!”

“Damn-it!” White agreed, it looked like there was nothing they could do.

0=0=0=0

Pushing the last three hostages out through the door, Hayes smiled to himself, it looked like they were going to get away. The cops couldn’t stop them for fear of killing the hostages and there was no sign of the ‘visitors’. Even if the ‘visitors’ did show up the capture team were close by so they really had nothing to worry about. Looking out through the glass door, Hayes saw that there was quite a crowd now; Curry was already out there all he needed to do was to step out the door and they were home free. Pushing open the door, Hayes joined Curry behind the wall of people. They had a rough idea where the cops were hiding from their shouted conversation of a few minutes ago.

“Okay people,” Hayes spoke menacingly to the hostages, “we’re gonna move towards the parking lot okay?”

There were mumbled and tearful words of acceptance as the hostages started to move slowly in the required direction.

0=0=0=0

“God damn it!” White snapped as he watched the bank raiders herd the hostages towards an exit; there was nothing he or his partner could do.

“No shot,” Cassidy lowered his shotgun and shook his head in despair, both cops hunkered down behind the planter and looked at each other; each hoped the other would come up with some sort of plan.

Suddenly the near silence of the mall was split by the sound of automatic fire and screams. Looking up over the planter, Cassidy saw the two robbers firing wildly into the air and into the crowd of hostages. People were shot down as they tried to run or huddled on the floor hoping to escape the death that had come to them on an otherwise quiet morning.

“What the hell!?” The cops chorused as they jumped up from behind their cover and advanced on the scene of death and destruction.

Still too far away to be sure of hitting the perps and not the hostages the cops held their fire as they advanced rapidly towards the scene. Screaming like a soul in torment one of the perps appeared to be lifted from the ground by some invisible force. His partner turned and fired hitting his buddy who fell onto the blood splattered marble floor. Before either White or Cassidy could fire the second perp screamed as something ripped open his stomach and his guts fell out onto the floor with a wet splat.

“FUCK!” Yelled White as he stood stock still his pistol held out in front of him, “What the hell…!”

Never getting to finish his sentence, White’s chest exploded in a blindingly bright flash of fire. Knocked to the ground by the force of the explosion that had killed his buddy, Cassidy looked wide eyed at the smouldering hole in his friend’s chest. There was a hole right through his partner’s body the edges of which were black and burnt.

“GET OUTTA HERE!” Cassidy yelled at the remaining hostages as he climbed to his feet while trying to look in all directions at the same time.

Sensing movement that wasn’t one of the fleeing hostages, Cassidy turned to see one of the perps being dragged away. Blinking his eyes he tried to tell himself that he wasn’t going insane. Although the perp looked as if he was being dragged away there wasn’t anything actually dragging him. His mind now working on automatic, Cassidy swivelled towards where whatever was dragging the perp should be and fired his shotgun. The weapon boomed in his hands as he saw the shot strike something and weird florescent green liquid suddenly appear to float in midair and drip onto the floor.

Jacking another round into the breach of his weapon, Cassidy took aim as the twin points of a double bladed knife appeared through the front of his chest. Looking down at the bloody blades, Officer Cassidy’s eyes grew wide with amazement as he asked himself, ‘where the hell did those come from?’ Blood gushed into his lungs drowning him as something lifted him off his feet before hurling his body across the concourse.

0=0=0=0

Pulling her head back from the edge of the concourse, Faith turned to see Willow crouching behind her. Earlier she’d sensed the alien go by and had hidden in the shop with Willow and the people they’d collected from this level. Now she watched helplessly as the two cops had died below her, Faith knew she had no choice; she had to go down there and kill that thing.

“Look,” Faith sort out Willow’s hand and held it tightly in her own for a moment, “I’m goin’ down there to kill that thing, right?”

“Yeah,” Willow nodded her head, she’d never expected Faith to say anything different, “I know you’ve gotta go…just,” Willow tried to smile bravely, “like, be careful, huh?”

“Look,” Faith disentangled her hand from Willow’s and checked her weapon as she spoke, “ya should be okay up here. Remember what Major Finn said?”

“I know,” Willow nodded, “if you don’t fight it won’t kill you.”

“Yeah,” Faith nodded as she jumped to her feet, “ya gotta stop anyone from trying to be a hero, got that?”

“Got it Chief!” Willow smiled and gave her new friend a mock salute.

“Right…” Faith hesitated thinking there should be something else she should be saying.

“Here,” Willow stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Faith’s neck and kissed her on the lips, “for luck,” she whispered.

Slightly stunned, but in a good way, Faith stepped away from Willow, turned and headed for the escalator that would take her to the lower levels. Oddly, unlike the elevators, the escalators where still working. Smiling to herself, Faith thought she’d be down amongst the action in only a few moments.

0=0=0=0

Moving cautiously and efficiently the capture team trotted along the concourse, they were confident that their suits would mask them from the alien’s sight. Unfortunately no one had given even a second thought to the idea that the aliens might be able to see in more than one wave length or had sensors similar to human infer-red or thermal imagers.

The alien hunter dropped from the level above the capture team right into the middle of their formation. The first thing Keyes’ men knew of the surprise attack was when one of their number was stabbed in the chest and flung through a plate glass window. Amid the sounds of shouts and screams plus the noise of the team’s weapons going off the hunter went about his bloody work. The capture team were hampered by the fear of hitting their own men and not being able to see the alien, the alien on the other hand had none of these problems.

By the time three of the capture team were lying dead on the floor the three remaining agents were more interested in getting away than trying to capture the creature. One of the survivors was one of the men equipped with a freeze gun. Seeing one of his buddies being lifted up into the air by some sort of metal spear that had appeared out of nowhere, he triggered his weapon. A white, freezing mist engulfed the alien as the agent gripped the firing mechanism with a manic grasp. 

Taken by surprise the alien dropped his spear and the prey impaled on its point before stumbling away trying to escape the freezing temperatures of the mist. Pressing his advantage the agent kept the freeze gun pointing at the alien driving it back across the concourse. He hoped that the alien would be incapacitated or killed before the liquid nitrogen in his back pack was expended.

There was a mind numbing explosion as the white hot heat of a plasma bolt hit the near absolute zero temperatures of the liquid nitrogen still stored in the tank on the agent’s back. The man was blown to a red mist by the force of the explosion, a piece of wreckage that had once been the nozzle of the freeze gun flew across the concourse taking the head off the last remaining agent. Another bolt of blistering hot plasma shot from a spot across the concourse to smash another window and explode inside a shop causing a small fire to start.

0=0=0=0

Ducking down behind a concrete trash bin, Faith followed the course of the battle below with her ears. Having heard the sound of firing fade rapidly to nothing followed by the explosion that had caused every window around her to vibrate and had drawn cries of fear from the throats of shoppers hidden in the shops, Faith had come to the conclusion that who ever had been firing was now dead.

Getting up from her hiding place, Faith looked cautiously down at the level below. Seeing the smouldering wreckage and the blood spattered floor; she soon sensed something move across the floor to where the bodies in their weird silver suits lay. Narrowing her eyes she saw a shimmer in the air above the bodies. Then, as the alien moved between her and one of the bodies she saw a definite distortion in the air. Lifting her pistol, Faith aimed at the distortion and fired. 

Emptying the pistol’s entire magazine into her target she saw bright green glowing ‘blood’ fly in all directions. Ducking down out of sight to reload, Faith was just in time not to be hit by the alien’s return fire. Blindingly white bolts of energy flashed upwards towards her position. Some hit the edge of the level’s concrete platform sending semi molten lumps of concrete flying in all directions. Others missed completely to fly up and hit the underside of the next level up, gouging great holes in the concrete and exploding light fittings which in turn sent showers of sparks bouncing across the floor below.

Popping up like some murderous jack-in-the-box, Faith sensed the heat coming from the alien’s weapon, aiming just to the left of where she thought the head should be she fired again. This time when the alien fired back, Faith didn’t bother taking cover she kept on firing as bolts of fire struck all around her or flew off to impact elsewhere in the mall. Slipping a fresh magazine into her weapon even as she fired Faith kept up her rate of fire thus getting fire superiority over the alien.

The alien staggered as the rounds hit its helmet and upper body. Although the individual rounds would do it little harm, the number and rapidity of the hits it was receiving were starting to affect its ability to fight back. Realising that it might have met its match, the alien stopped firing and began to retreat. It wasn’t fear that made it back off, it was the knowledge that it had met a hunter of equal, possibly superior skill to its own.

Ejecting the empty magazine, Faith slipped a full one into the butt of her pistol; quietly she thanked a god that she didn’t really believe in that she’d picked up the four spares. But, if she was going to track and kill this creature she was going to need something better than a 9mm pistol. Moving off through the clouds of grey smoke that billowed all around her, Faith didn’t pay much attention to the small fires that burnt fitfully all around her.

Giving a shriek of surprise as the sprinkler system kicked in, Faith stilled her wildly beating heart and made her way down to the level below. Feeling the water slowly soak through her uniform, she walked over to where the guys in the silver suits lay. The water was already starting to wash away the blood from around the bodies at it put out the fires here and on the level above. Walking over to one of the bodies, she pulled a SAW from the guy’s death grip and checked how much ammo was left in the box under the weapon. The guy must have only fired a short burst before he was killed as the box was almost full. Checking and hoping to find a spare box of bullets, Faith came up empty handed. What was in the box would have to do.

Giving the silver suited guys one last look, Faith moved on, there’d be plenty of time later to find out who they were, she had a monster to kill. Pausing in her hunt, Faith watched as the water revealed the body of an alien hunter lying on the floor three or four yards from where she stood. Covering it with her newly acquired weapon, she advanced on it cautiously as small blue electrical sparks played around the body. Something bubbled to the surface of her mind as she gazed down at the motionless creature. There’d been something in the briefing notes that Major Finn had given her to read. Something about the invisibility suit, or whatever it was, being vulnerable to water.

Kneeling down next to the alien, Faith’s spooky-super-soldier-senses told her it was dead. Her eyes told her that she’d not killed it. This alien, apart from a possible shotgun wound on in its chest, was untouched by her bullets. This thing had been dead before her battle with the alien which meant only one thing, there’d been two aliens in the mall with her.

“Okay,” Faith told herself as she slowly got to her feet, “I can deal with that, I’ve killed two of these ugly fuckers already, they ain’t so tough!”

0=0=0=0

Standing outside the Long Street Mall, Captain Hill of the JCPD Swat team stared helplessly at the shutters that prevented him from getting inside the mall. The last report he’d received was there were two perps holding up the bank inside the mall. They’d killed a number of civilians and were holding others as hostages; there were also two cops inside the mall, their cruiser was standing deserted next to the sidewalk outside the building.

Looking at his much depleted team, Hill admitted that the last couple of days had been hard on the Swat team; there were a couple of men here today that should be at home recovering from injuries. Whatever, he shook his head as he tried to think of a way around his problem, he really needed explosives to get into the mall. He’d tried to call for back up but there was something jamming the radios around here. Turning at the sound of approaching vehicles, Hill saw four army Humvees speeding down the cordoned off street towards him.

“What the hell?” He asked himself as the first of the Hummers drew level with him and stopped. Watching as the door flew open and a tall officer climbed out, Hill walked towards him, “Hey!” he called, “You guys National Guard or something?”

“Or something,” agreed the helmeted officer from behind dark glasses, “I hear you’ve got a situation here I might be able to help you with.”

Riley knew exactly what the situation was, the panicky, disjointed message that Willow had managed to get out told him that the aliens were on the hunt again; this time in broad daylight.

“Look,” Hill shrugged under his body armour, “unless you’ve got explosives in one of those jeeps,” Hill saw a dozen heavily armed ‘Guardsmen’ congregate behind the officer, “there’s nothing much either of us can do.” He jerked his thumb at the mall, “this place is built like a fort.”

“Can’t get in, huh?” Riley looked at the shutters and then back at the police captain, “We’ll see about that,” turning Riley called to one of his men, “Walker! Get those shutters open.”

“Sure thing, Major!” replied one of the soldiers as he climbed back into a hummer and started the engine.

“Captain,” Riley guided the police captain away from the shutters, “I think we better get out of the way and let Corporal Walked get on with his work.”

0=0=0=0


	14. Chapter 14

14.

**The Long Street Mall.**

“Sergeant!” Riley pointed to the six silver suited bodies lying in pools of their own watery blood, “Secure those bodies.”

Glancing over to his right Riley saw the dead alien predator lying on its back three or four yards away.

“Don’t forget that one,” he pointed to the alien before turning to Corporal Walker who was standing close behind him, “Walker, see if you can contact the CP and get Lt Peters to bring more men and transport to take that thing away.”

“On it, Sir!” Walker turned and trotted back towards his the main entrance where he’d left the Humvee after using it to smash open the storm shutters.

“Hey,” Captain Hill turned his shocked eyes away from the dead alien and back towards Riley, “This is a crime scene you’re not removing anything without my say-so!”

“Captain,” Riley turned towards the commander of the city’s Swat team, “everything that you and your men see is covered by national security.” Riley paused as he explained the facts of life to the police officer, “You will be told what you can and cannot report about this incident…”

“But…” Hill began to interrupt, but Riley held up his hand to silence the man once more.

“Look, Captain,” Riley continued in a conciliatory tone, “I’m going to bet that my authority comes from higher up the food chain than yours. I’m sorry this isn’t a crime scene, for the time being it’s a war zone.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Major?” Hill demanded in an urgent but quiet voice, “War zone?” He pointed at the dead men and monster, “What the hells going on here?”

“Like I say, a war,” Riley shrugged, “in the mean time I suggest that you and your men find and evacuate any civilians still in the building.”

Opening his mouth to argue, Hill looked into the impassive face of the army major in front of him and slowly shut his mouth. The guy was obviously just obeying orders given to him by some high up; it was pointless arguing with him while there were people who still needed his help.

“Okay, Major,” Hill sighed resignedly, “you win, for now.”

“Thank-you, Captain,” Riley relaxed a little, “I’m sorry to screw you around like this…hey and another thing…”

“What’s that?” Hill asked suspiciously.

“There could be another of those things in here,” Riley gestured to the predator; Faith’s absence was worrying him, he doubted she was dead and the fact that she’d not appeared suggested there was still trouble in the wind. “And two of my people may still be in here,” Riley grinned at the bemused police officer, “all three of them are pretty dangerous so you better be careful, okay?”

“Yeah,” Hill nodded, “thanks for the heads-up,” turning to his men he told them to start finding any remaining civilians and start evacuating them from the building.

0=0=0=0

The alien was easy to track, all Faith had to do was follow the bright green blood trail. The creature was heading for the upper levels, no doubt trying to get out the way it had got in; Faith suspected that the alien’s ray-gun thing would make short work of the storm shutters over the windows.

Running up a stationary escalator, Faith came out onto the level below the one that she’d left Willow and her little band of refugees. As long as Willow didn’t do anything violent towards the alien (although what the young redhead could do escaped Faith, she was unarmed) it’d leave them be.

Looking around for the next staircase upwards, Faith decided to not follow the creature anymore, but try to get ahead of it. Glancing to her left, she saw a working escalator going up. Ignoring the trail of blood going to her right Faith ran towards the moving stairway. Skidding to a halt she was just in time to hear the sound of the alien’s gun going off followed by several incredibly bright flashes of light.

“WILLOW!” Faith cried as she started to run up the stairs.

0=0=0=0

Crouching at the rear of the shop where Willow and the other shoppers had taken refuge, she listened to the sounds of battle coming from below. Even as the sound of what had to be Faith’s pistol firing rapidly and being answered by what was probably the alien’s weapon firing back; Willow found her eyes drifting off to look at the goods on offer in the shop. It would appear that she’d taken refuge in one of those gift shops that sold greetings cards, novelty mugs and birthday balloons. As everything went quite, Willow found herself wondering when Faith’s birthday was. Snapping back from her plans for Faith’s surprise birthday party that she’d started to organise in her mind, she noticed that everything had gone ominously quiet. Around her people started to mutter that maybe it was safe to go out now.

“Hold on,” Willow called, “everyone stay here, I’ll go take a look.”

When no one insisted that she stay hidden, Willow swallowed hard, stood up and walked towards the front of the shop. Pausing in the doorway, she looked left and right, water dripped from the fire suppression system, all the shooting must have started a fire somewhere. She’d heard the water spraying from the nozzles above the concourse but luckily the system hadn’t flooded the shop. Just as she was about to turn away and tell everyone that it looked safe, Willow heard heavy footsteps coming up the escalator to her left. Turning slightly she saw the alien monster standing not twenty yards away from her.

This was the first time she’d seen one of these creatures alive; it stood at least seven feet tall. It wore a metal mask over its face with what looked like spines or dreadlocks falling around its shoulders like hair. Its hands and feet had long sharp looking claws and for a moment Willow wondered how it could make all the hi-tech looking equipment it had hanging from its body with hands like that. There was something that looked like it had to be a gun on the creatures left shoulder; the weapon moved so it pointed in the same direction that the alien turned its head. Suddenly, Willow realised that both the alien’s head and its gun was pointing at her.

“Hey!” Willow complained, “That’s not fair you’re not supposed to at shoot me, I’m harmless!”

The first bolt of white hot plasma caused the plate glass window next to her to explode in glittering shards of glass. Crying out in pain as several pieces of flying glass cut her arm, Willow noticed the gun shift slightly to aim directly at her, it fired again.

“PROTEGO!” Willow lifted her right hand and staggered back half a pace as the plasma bolt hit her magic shield.

If the alien was surprised by this latest turn of events it didn’t show it, instead it sent several more bolts of plasma against Willow’s shield. Realising that it wasn’t going to penetrate the female human’s protective shield the predator decided to use more direct and bloodier methods.

Seeing the alien’s gun fold down out of sight, Willow dropped her shield as she watched the monster stride towards her, she only had a few seconds to decide what to do. The shield was a powerful spell and had already started to weaken her. It would defeat any attack the alien might launch against her but it would soon drain her of power. She decided she’d need to do something more violent. Lifting her right hand she pointed at the alien monster now only a few yards away and closing rapidly.

“FULMEN!” Lightning arched from her finger to the centre of the space-demon’s chest.

The creature roared in pain as it fell back a couple of paces; its weapon started to deploy once more. Pointing harder, Willow sent another stream of magical lightning towards the creature, however this time it wasn’t as powerful as her first blast and the alien only staggered a little. Her arm felt like it was made of lead and Willow knew that she’d only one more shot left in her. If the alien shot its weapon and hit her (and at this range the alien couldn’t miss) she’d have no power left to summon up her shield. Sagging slightly, Willow saw the gun thing start to track towards her, she saw the bright green, glowing liquid that must be the creatures blood ooze from wounds on its upper body, thinking that at least Faith must have injured it Willow waited for the end to come. Closing her eyes tightly, she screamed in surprise as a great roaring sound seemed to fill the world around her. Feeling things like hands tugging at her clothes and hair, Willow kept her eyes tightly closed as the roaring sound went on and on and glass broke into hundreds of sharp daggers that flew through the air around her but never touched her.

0=0=0=0

Resting the butt of the smoking SAW on her hip, Faith looked down at the dead alien lying at Willow’s feet.

“It’s okay,” Faith called, “ya can open ya eyes now.”

“W-what the…” Willow looked down at the dead alien and then at Faith, turning to look behind her she saw the wreaked interior of the shop; smashed novelty mugs and shredded greetings cards littering the floor.

“Yeah,” Faith shifted her shoulders under her damp uniform, “sorry about that…”

“Never mind,” Willow turned to look at Faith once more, “what’s a little collateral damage between friends?”

Closing her mouth and thinking about it for a moment, Willow realised what all the little hands tugging at her clothes must have been.

“Oh Goddess,” suddenly Willow’s legs wouldn’t support her any more and she sat down heavily on the floor.

“Hey,” Faith placed the SAW on the floor and rushed forward to check that she’d not actually hit the red head, “ya not hit are ya?”

“N-no-no,” Willow shook her head as she gasped for breath, “I-I t-think I’m g-going to b-be sick!”

Willow threw-up on the floor just as Riley and a squad of his men appeared on the concourse behind Faith, guns at the ready.

0=0=0=0

Horrified by what he was seeing Special Agent Keyes stared at the monitors, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. He’d watched as the frail looking young woman had directed what looked like forks of lightning at the alien and this was after she’d deflected its plasma bolts using some sort of energy shield. Even as the red head had appeared about to be killed, some female soldier had arrived and killed the alien predator with a long burst of automatic fire. How she’d managed not to hit the red head, Keyes couldn’t imagine.

Now the mall was filling up with soldiers, police, firemen and EMT’s. All his men were dead, the army had taken possession of their bodies, worse yet they’d got their hands on two more alien bodies and all their equipment. While the bodies were riddled with bullets the alien’s hi-tech equipment was probably still in working order. All he had to show for all the effort and money put into this project was failure; his bosses in Washington would not be pleased. For just a moment Keyes wondered, ‘what was the point?’ If he reported in he’d only find himself transferred to the Goa’uld Transplantation Project. Wouldn’t it be better to hand himself over to the Army and spill the beans about what the NID were doing and save his own neck?

No. Keyes shook his head, he was in too deep to make any deal that avoided spending the rest of his life in a secret, maximum security prison up on one of the Aleutian Islands. It was time to cut his loses and save what he could of the mission. Turning to Garber, who was still sitting beside him silently watching the monitors, Keyes gave a low chuckle, it was all a game, win or lose, what did it matter in the long run?

“Time we were getting out of here,” Keyes commented dryly.

“Yes, Sir,” Garber nodded his head curtly and typed in an order to his keyboard.

Outside in the parking lot the shutter over the entrance started to move as the truck’s engine burst into life. Belching diesel fumes from its exhaust the truck picked up speed as it headed out into daylight. It was gone long before the local police had their road blocks properly in place.

0=0=0=0

**The Adams Motel.**

Back at the Company CP, the army medics put Willow to bed in the casualty station they’d set up, they’d expected more casualties than the exhausted witch. After checking to see that the medics weren’t killing Willow with kindness, Faith walked back to Riley’s office. Entering quietly she found the room full of junior officers and staff NCO’s. Noticing her arrival, Riley held up his hand for quiet, he grinned widely at Faith’s slightly confused expression.

“Here’s the woman of the moment,” he announced, “well done Chief Lehane. The only woman on the planet to take out three of these things single handedly.”

There was a chorus of ‘Well done’ and ‘good work’ plus much slapping of Faith’s back as she made her way through the crowd of Rangers.

“Hey,” Faith said a little self-consciously, “wasn’t just me, Ms Rosenberg got in a few good shots herself.”

“Of course,” Riley agreed, before calling the meeting back to order and completing the mission debrief, part of which was Faith explaining how she’d finally killed the predator.

“…I had to take the chance that I might hit Ms Rosenberg,” Faith explained, “if I didn’t the alien would have killed her for sure.”

“So, sustained fire with a SAW was effective?” a senior NCO in the crowd asked.

“Yeah,” Faith nodded her head, “but I still think we’d do better taking these things on using assault shotguns but we need a bigger magazine capacity than ten rounds.”

“Or always move in pairs,” suggested 1st Lt Peters.

“Can’t always…” Faith was about to reply when the door burst open and in strode a tall grey haired Air Force General in camouflage uniform, he was followed closely by Colonel Carter.

“‘TEN-HUT!” Someone called and everyone in the room sprang to attention as the General moved briskly to the front of the room; after returning Riley’s salute the General turned to address the room.

“Relax,” the General gestured with his hand for everyone to calm down, he turned back to Riley, “Major I need to speak with you in private.”

“Okay people,” Riley cast his eye over his people, it was plain to Faith that Riley didn’t know what was going on.

Turning to leave, Faith noticed Colonel Carter whisper something to the General who sort out Faith with his eyes and nodded agreement to whatever Carter had said.

“Chief Lehane,” called the mysterious General, “I’d like you to stay if that’s alright with Major Finn?”

“Of course General,” Riley wasn’t about to argue with a general.

Shrugging to herself, Faith stood against the wall and tried to be unobtrusive, unfortunately it didn’t work; as soon as everyone else had left the room the General came to stand in front of her.

“So you’re the one who turned down Colonel Carter’s job offer a couple of years back?”

“Looks like, General,” Faith replied defensively.

“Do you know how pissed she got over that?” The General asked.

“No Sir,” Faith shook her head slightly.

The General glanced back at his Colonel and gave a low chuckle, “Well,” he smiled, “she wouldn’t shut up about it for weeks…anyway you seem to have done well for yourself, Chief.”

“Thank-you Sir,” Faith felt this was the safest thing to say in the circumstances.

“Right,” the General turned away from Faith and strode back over to Riley, he held out his hand, “Sorry I should have introduced myself to you earlier. I’m General Jack O’Neill, USAF, Colonel Carter you know, you are Major Riley Finn 613th Independent Ranger Company, US Army, I hear you’ve got an alien problem.”

“Erm, yes Sir,” Riley looked uncertainly at the General, “how do you…”

“I’m Colonel Carter’s boss,” O’Neill explained, “Don’t worry I’m not here to steal your thunder, I just wanted to make sure Carter wasn’t just goofing off out here and I needed to get out from under Cheyenne Mountain,” sitting down O’Neill gestured for Carter to take centre stage.

“Right Sir,” Carter sighed very quietly, but Faith’s super hearing picked it up clearly enough. “Major, you’ll be glad to know that the preliminary studies of the alien’s technology will likely open up new areas of research. But I’m betting you don’t care about that just now?”

“No Ma’am,” Riley shook his head, “I’ve got two maybe three of those things still on the loose in Jeffersonville, I need to kill them before they cause any more deaths.”

“I like your attitude, son,” O’Neill called from his seat, “Tell him Colonel.”

“I’m just getting to the good part, Sir,” Carter glanced down at O’Neill and Faith thought she saw a slight smirk on the General’s lips; it was obvious to her that these two had been working together for a _long_ time. “Major Finn, you’ll be glad to know that a surveillance platform will be in orbit over Jeffersonville in,” Colonel Carter checked her watch, “just over an hour…”

“I suppose if I asked just what sort of ‘surveillance platform’ we’re talking about, I’d be told not to ask.”

“You’re not wrong Major,” Carter smiled, the converted Al’Kesh bomber was a closely guarded secret; it was only the seriousness of the present situation that had allowed O’Neill to release it to her control. “But be assured it carries a sensor package quite capable of finding those aliens of yours…”

“With all due respect, Sir, Ma’am,” Riley replied tiredly, “but we could have done with something like this several days ago.”

“I know son,” O’Neill commiserated with the junior officer, “politics.”

“I see,” Riley shook his head, he accepted that the country’s politicians had to have the final say, but it was him who had to tell a family that their son or daughter wasn’t coming home this time.

“Whatever,” O’Neill stood up slowly, favouring one leg over the other, “I’ve got a platoon’s worth of troops on the way to help out,” O’Neill noticed the look that crossed Riley’s face, “Don’t worry Major, you’ve still got tactical command, I’m here to observe and Colonel Carter’s here to deal with all the tech stuff. Tonight we’ll kick some alien butt!”

0=0=0=0


	15. Chapter 15

15.

**The Adams Motel and Company CP.**

“Outstanding!” Faith smiled as she hefted the new thirty round drum magazine for her assault shotgun in her hand.

“You’re welcome, Chief,” Corporal Price smiled, “I loaded it alternate solid-shot and buckshot.”

“Cool,” Faith nodded as she slipped the bulky magazine into the receiver of her weapon.

Bringing the AS2 to her shoulder, Faith sighted over the top of the weapon; although the drum was heavy it wouldn’t prove a problem to her super-powered muscles. Okay, so it made the weapon bulkier but she could live with that if it meant she could take down one of the alien predator creatures before her weapon ran dry.

“I’m sorry I could only get hold of one magazine, Chief,” Corporal Price explained, “but I might be able to find more and some pouches for the spares.”

“No, this is so cool Corporal,” Faith unloaded and then found she had nowhere to put the big magazine; slipping the shotgun over her shoulder where it hung from its carrying strap, Faith made do with carrying the magazine in her hand. “I won’t forget this Corporal Price.”

“Like I say, Chief,” Price smiled shyly, “you’re welcome.”

Turning and giving the store Corporal a wave of acknowledgement, Faith walked back out into the parking lot of the motel come Company Command Post. Walking along the line of rooms she soon came to the one being used by Major Finn as his headquarters. Opening the door quietly she stepped inside; no one appeared to have noticed her come in as she lay her shotgun and its out-sized magazine on a table. 

Turning to survey the room she saw Major Finn and General O’Neill standing over a large map of Jacksonville which was spread out across the two desks in the middle of the room. Standing on tip-toe, Faith saw that large areas of the map had been shaded in with coloured marker pen. Guessing that these were areas that had been scanned by the mysterious ‘surveillance platform’, Faith turned next to where Colonel Carter was sitting in the corner of the room working at a laptop computer. The Colonel seemed to be typing something into the computer, looking at the screen and then relaying what she was reading to someone at the other end of the pick-up that was currently screwed into her ear.

Shrugging, Faith tried to keep out of the way as staff NCO’s moved from one officer to another giving them updates on pieces of paper and refilling their coffee mugs. Coffee, now there was a good idea, Faith moved across the room to where the coffee pots stood and turned to face the room again. Wincing as she sipped the paint-stripper-like brew (one of the things she missed about the Marines was their coffee) she noticed Willow for the first time sitting in a dark corner by herself.

“Hi,” Faith said after she’d walked over and sat down next to the young woman, “ya feeling okay ‘cause I gotta say ya still look like crap!”

“Oh,” Willow turned to look at Faith, “like thanks…” Willow paused for the space of a breath or two and frowned, “…I totally feel like crap, but it’s nice to have it confirmed by an independent witness.”

“You should go back to the sickbay and rest some more,” Faith pointed out choosing to ignore Willow’s sarcasm, “that _magic_ stuff you did really takes it out of ya don’t it?”

“Yeah,” Willow sighed tiredly, she’d like to do as Faith suggested but she wanted to see this through to the end, “I’d like to sleep for a month,” she forced a smile, “maybe two. But, I wanna see these things taken down.”

“Hey, no problemo,” Faith reached out and squeezed one of Willow’s hands gently, “I know where ya coming from, but…”

“But I look like crap?” Willow gave Faith a thin lipped smile; here’s one for the book, Willow thought, ‘evil-rogue-slayer’ Faith Lehane doing the comforting, supportive thing, totally unexpected.

“Well yeah,” Faith grinned as she kept hold of Willow’s hand almost as if she’d forgotten she was still holding it. “You’ll be no use to anyone if ya pass out or something.” Faith noted the dark shadows under Willow’s eyes, the more than normally pale complexion, the shoulders that slumped showing just how tired the woman was. “Look,” Faith tried to make a deal with Willow, “you go lie down somewhere an’ I promise I’ll come get ya if anything happens, okay?”

Willow was tempted, it wasn’t as if she could do anything if the aliens turned up; she was totally tapped out of magical power. It’d be a good twenty-four hours before she was anywhere near up to full strength again, she should lie down, let sleep wrap her in its healing embrace and…

“We’ve got them!” Colonel Carter called, everyone in the room shut-up and turned to look at the air force colonel.

“Come on Sam,” General O’Neill was the first to break the silence, “Don’t keep it to yourself.”

“Wait,” Carter held up her hand for silence as she listened intently to the voices coming to her through the ear-bug she was wearing. “Right got them!” Standing up, Carter walked to the map, she studied it for a moment and then pointed to a spot on the map, “Here,” she announced firmly, “three non-human life signs confirmed as matching the profiles of the hunter-aliens.”

Faith wondered how they could know all this.

“They’re in this apartment building,” Carter explained as she listened to more information coming to her through the ear-bug, “up on the roof between the water tanks and air conditioning units.” Again Carter paused before looking directly at General O’Neill, “The Al’kesh crew say they can take them out from orbit.”

What the hell is this ‘Al-cash’ thing, Faith asked herself, whatever it was it was armed and could shoot from orbit. Watching General O’Neill, Faith realised he was seriously considering telling the crew of this ‘Al-cash’ thing to take out the aliens from orbit.

“Major,” O’Neill looked at Finn, “please tell me that block is deserted.”

“Sorry, Sir,” Riley shook his head after consulting his note book, “that’s a recently redeveloped area; chances are that block is at least half full.”

“Damn-it,” O’Neill said under his breath before turning to look at Carter, “Can the Al'kesh do a surgical strike?”

“Not with the weapons fit she’s carrying now,” Carter informed him, “even the smallest warhead would take out the target block and the ones around it.”

“God-damn-it!” O’Neill spat the words out, “Tell the Al'kesh crew to stand down but keep tracking the targets,” O’Neill looked over at Riley, “Looks like its down to your people, Major.”

“Sir,” Riley nodded and looked at his watch.

Looking at her own watch Faith saw it was getting on for early evening, damn-it, she cursed to herself. Only a few more hours ‘til night fall, the aliens liked to hunt at night if they didn’t do something soon the creatures would have moved on and they’d have to start again from scratch.

“Sir,” Riley stood up straight and looked at O’Neill, “I’ll need to use your troops…”

“You’ve got ‘em, Major,” O’Neill nodded his head.

“Right, Sir,” Riley took a deep breath, “We need to get at least a platoon’s worth of men down there now. Have them move up through the building and contain the aliens in the upper levels.” Riley studied the map for a moment giving himself time to think. “Once the ready reaction force is in place we’ll need the civilian authorities to evacuate everyone from the building, while the rest of our troops form a cordon around the building to prevent the aliens from escaping if they break through the reaction force.”

“Sounds like a plan Major,” O’Neill confirmed, “Find me a line to JCPD HQ and I’ll light a fire under them for you.”

“Sergeant Earl,” Riley called, “find the General a direct line to JCPD HQ.”

Moments later Sergeant Earl ushered General O’Neill away to make his call.

“Someone find me Lieutenant Peters,” Riley called.

Letting go of Willow’s hand, Faith got up and walked over to the table where she’d left her shotgun and picked it up just as Lt Peters burst into the room.

“Sir!” Peters walked over to stand next to Riley as they started to discuss the up and coming operation. 

Watching the officer, Faith saw a young man slightly younger than herself but with the look of a veteran. Thinking about it, Faith smiled, the guy had to be good he was in Finn’s unit and they were all highly skilled special forces soldiers. Noticing that Major Finn had finished briefing his officer Faith stepped forward.

“If it’s alright with you, Sir,” Faith caught Finn’s eye, “I’ll get the rest of my gear and go with the L-t here.”

“That okay with you George?” Finn asked the young officer.

“Fine by me,” nodded Peters, “the more the merrier, Sir,” he turned to Faith, “glad to have you come along Chief.”

“If anyone’s allowed to join the party,” Colonel Carter called as she put down her computer and started to put on an equipment vest, “can you make room for an old air force Colonel?”

“I’m sure we can, Ma’am,” Peters replied slightly uneasily; tough, experienced Warrant Officers he’d seen in action were fine by him, Air Force Colonel’s he’d not seen fight he wasn’t so sure about.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant,” Carter had seen the doubt in Peters’ eyes, “I won’t cramp your style and I won’t get in your way.”

“Okay, Ma’am,” Peters agree after a moments thought, “but lets move like we mean it, I want to be out of here in five minutes.”

“After you Lieutenant,” Carter gestured to the door and then followed the younger officer out.

Attaching herself to the end of this short column, Faith noticed Willow push herself to her feet.

“Ma’am,” Faith called softly from the door way, “if’n you take my advice, you’ll sit this one out.”

Without waiting for a reply, Faith headed on out the door to grab her gear and mount-up.

0=0=0=0

Watching through his binoculars, Wesley noted the activity in and around the temporary army base. Something had happened, he could see men running about collecting up equipment and throwing it into the box-like jeeps the US Army used these days. Sweeping his glasses across the parking lot his blood froze in his veins for a moment as the figure of Faith Lehane swam into view. She was carrying some huge sort of gun as she climbed into the back of one of the jeep-type vehicles with another older, blonde woman in a different type of uniform from everyone else.

As he watched the jeeps form up into a convoy, Wesley pondered this knew piece of information. Who was this other woman? Why was she dressed differently? Was she perhaps Lehane’s keeper, a military equivalent of a Watcher? He didn’t know but he did know that there was an increasing amount of chatter on the police wavebands, something about evacuating an apartment building on the Eastside. Lowering his binoculars as he watched the army convoy snake out onto the main road, Wesley wondered what he should do. He’d left Shannon back at his motel room; although she’d made the usual rapid slayer recovery from her horrific wounds she still wasn’t properly well yet.

Torn between, following the army convoy or going back to his slayer, Wesley mounted his bike (he still hadn’t swapped it for the SUV like he’d promised himself he would). Sitting there in indecision for a moment, Wes eventually pressed the button to start the bike’s engine. Listening to the powerful rumbling of the motor, he decided to go back to Shannon; he could follow what was going on with the police scanner and by watching the TV news. There was nothing he could do about Lehane for now, not with his slayer out of action. Turning his bike towards home, he sighed, Lehane would have to wait, he could find her again, all he had to do was follow the trail of bodies she left in her wake.

0=0=0=0

Climbing out of the Hummer, Faith adjusted the shotgun that hung from its strap over her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the apartment block where the aliens had their hide-out. It was new no more than a year old, she could tell by just looking at the windows that about half of the apartments were still empty. From the plans that Colonel Carter had managed to download to her computer they could see that the block was shaped like a ‘U’ with its open end facing towards the sea. Each floor had six apartments and the block was six floors high. In the open area between the sides and base of the ‘U’ was a pool with a few tables and benches around it. Looking the place over, Faith realised she’d not be able to afford to live in a place like this on her pay, she guessed that the Colonel probably couldn’t afford it either.

Following a squad of troopers into the expensively furnished lobby, Faith saw the uniformed doorman vainly trying to hold back the avalanche of camouflaged bodies that had burst in on his cosy little world. Leaving a fire team in the lobby, Lt Peters headed for the stairs with the rest of his men. Finding herself standing next to Colonel Carter, Faith smiled at the look on the officer’s face; she obviously wasn’t looking forward to climbing the six plus floors up to the roof.

“Don’t worry Ma’am,” Faith whispered, “I can push if ya like.”

“I can manage, Chief,” Carter smiled back, “my name’s not O’Neill.”

Tagging on behind the rest of Peters’ platoon, Faith was pleased to note that Carter was only slightly out of breath by the time they got to the sixth floor, she, of course, wasn’t even breathing heavily.

“Colonel Carter?” Lt Peters called from the front of the platoon; Faith saw that the rest of the troopers where deploying to cover the stairways up to the plant-room on the roof. “How many access points to the roof do we have, Ma’am?”

“Hold on,” Carter let her weapon (Faith recognised it as a P90) hang from the harness around her body as she took a smaller laptop computer from a bag on her hip, “let me see,” Carter muttered as she hit the keyboard with rapidly moving fingers. “You’ve got this stairwell and one at either end of the floor.” Carter studied the plans on her computer screen carefully, “There’s also the two lift shafts and there’s always the possibility that these things can escape down the side of the building.”

“Great!” Peters sighed unhappily, he’d not thought that the aliens could climb down the side of the building.

“L-t,” Faith called as she looked out the window to the road outside, “looks like the Major and the police are starting to arrive.”

“Okay,” Peters thought for a moment, “I’m going to cover each stairwell with a squad and set up platoon HQ in the lobby where we can cover the lift shaft.”

“Sounds like a sound plan Lieutenant,” Carter agreed.

“We’ve not got enough bodies to cover the outside of the building,” Peters explained, “We’ll just have to hope that Major Finn realises.”

The sound of multiple footsteps on the stairs drew everyone’s attention to the floors below.

“Looks like the local police are here to get everyone out,” Faith observed.

“Okay,” Peters headed for the door out onto the lobby, “lets get organised.”

0=0=0=0

In less time than it takes to tell Lt Peters had his three squads set up for all-round defence in the stair wells. Anything coming down the stairs from the roof would be hit by a storm of automatic fire. The platoon had also been issued with the paint grenades so they could mark any invisible aliens. If an alien got down the stairs and out onto the sixth floor corridors they’d be hit by fire from men who’d been posted to protect each squad’s rear. The one weak spot was the lift shaft, but they’d jammed the lift doors open so they wouldn’t move from the floor. If the aliens tried to escape down the lift shaft they’d have to stop and smash their way through the lift cars.

“Hey, L-t,” Faith called softly as she walked over to where Peters and Carter were studying the plans to the building, checking they’d not missed anything.

“Yes Chief,” Peters looked up from the computer screen.

“I was thinking,” Faith began slowly, “once we get the civilians out couldn’t we whistle up a couple ‘o’ Apaches and blast the fuckers off the roof?”

“The Chief’s got a point,” Carter agreed, “it’d be easier than going up there and trying to find them.”

“Good plan, Chief,” Peters grinned, he’d not been looking forward to winkling out invisible aliens with their hi-tech weapons, “I’ll call the Major and see what he thinks.”

Feeling proud of her tactical planning skills, Faith turned just in time to see half-a-dozen heavily armed swat guys appear from out of the central stairwell. Seeing what had to be the army command group the police sergeant in charge walked over and introduced himself.

“Sergeant Schick,” said the man from under his dark blue helmet, he held an M4 in his hands; introductions were quickly made.

“I’m here to evacuate the civilians,” Schick explained, “luckily there’s only one family on this floor, the Sanders family at apartment 65.”

“Not a problem, Sergeant,” Peters nodded, “are you sure the others are empty? It’s likely to get hot up here I wouldn’t want any civilians caught in the cross fire.”

“The Sanders people are the only ones we’ve been told about,” Schick looked worried, “it wouldn’t be the first time there’d been a screw up.”

“Look,” Faith stepped forward, “I’m not doing much, I could start checking the others while the Sergeant gets these people out…”

“Not by yourself, Chief,” Peters announced firmly, “I’m not having you wander off by yourself and getting caught by one of these things.”

Faith was about to explain how unlikely that was when Carter interrupted her.

“I’ll go with,” Carter volunteered, “I’m not doing anything that can’t be done by some one else.”

“If you’re sure, Ma’am?” Peters asked secretly thanking the Colonel for getting out of his hair.

“Not a problem Lieutenant,” Carter turned to Faith and gestured down the corridor, “after you Chief.”

0=0=0=0


	16. Chapter 16

16.

**Ewell Apartments, Jeffersonville.**

“Lights going,” Colonel Carter commented as the two women walked along the corridor towards the furthest apartment.

“Yeah,” Faith agreed, “those things like to hunt at night, makes it even harder to see them.”

“So,” Carter glanced at Faith as they came to a halt outside the apartment door; only a few yards further along the corridor she could see two of Major Finn’s Rangers covering them and the passageway. “What do you make of these aliens?”

“Ma’am?” Faith looked at Carter out of the corner of her eye and frowned.

“What do you think makes them do what they do?” Carter wanted to know.

“Don’t know about that, Ma’am,” Faith tried the door, it was locked, “but I’ll tell you one thing…”

“What’s that?”

“They’re cowards, Ma’am.”

“Cowards, Chief?”

“Yeah,” Faith sighed and relaxed a little as she began to explain, “they have their rules an’ all. But what chance does even an armed human have against these creeps?” Realising this was a rhetorical question, Carter kept quiet and waited for Faith to finish her thought, “I’ll tell you, Ma’am…none.”

“You think?” Carter nodded her head slowly; when she thought about it she had to agree with Faith. “Interesting evaluation, there Chief.”

“Bet ya they won’t come back if’n we kill off a few of the mothers, Ma’am,” Faith stepped back from the apartment door, “Think we should check inside?”

“Yeah, I’ll go get…” Carter was going to say she’d go find the keys but Faith beat her to it and kicked the door in, “…or you could do that.”

Leading the way into the apartment, Faith had her assault shotgun up to her shoulder and scanned the room over the top of its barrel. Finding nothing in the short hallway, she moved swiftly towards a door at the far end with Carter bringing up the rear and covering her back. Pausing for a moment before kicking open the door, Faith burst into what looked like the living room.

“Looks like someone’s movin’ in,” Faith gestured to all the boxes and the furniture that had been placed randomly around the room.

Moving along the wall, Faith checked for monsters in the open plan kitchen while Carter checked out the balcony.

“Clear out here,” Carter called as she walked back into the room.

“Yeah,” Faith agreed, “clear in here too.”

Both women relaxed for a moment as they stood in the middle of the room, Faith gave a small grimace as her stomach twisted.

“Oh!”

“What’s up Chief?” Carter asked turning to look at Faith.

“Ambush cramps,” Faith replied as she looked around searching the room for threats.

“Ambush what?”

Faith’s explanation was cut short by the sound of the ceiling exploding!

Turning inhumanly quickly, Faith brought her weapon up to her shoulder just as she saw the shimmer of the predator’s invisibility suit as it passed through the dust caused by its spectacular entry into the room. The alien landed destroying a chair and a whole pile of boxes, bending its knees to soak up the force of its landing the creature crouched for a moment scanning the room for targets.

Too late it noticed Faith pointing her weapon at its chest. Setting her feet firmly and bracing herself for the weapon’s recoil, Faith pulled the weapon's trigger. The roar and flash of the AS2 seemed to fill the room like some huge roaring monster. The alien was blown off its feet as the first burst of solid shot and buckshot hit it square in the chest and sent gobbets of blood and flesh flying across the room. Again Faith fired sending another burst of three rounds into the thing, almost at the same time Carter started to fire on full automatic, the P90’s armour piercing rounds ripping through the creature like a hot knife through butter.

Landing heavily on the floor against the far wall, the alien hunter struggled weakly for a moment as its invisibility cloak failed and it was revealed to its attackers. It tried to search out its foes with its plasma gun, but a burst from Carter’s P90 stitched its way across its helmet punching holes in the metal which started to ooze green blood. Hit by another whirlwind of buckshot and solid slugs in the chest, the alien’s body spasmed for a moment before lying still as it lay against the wall bleeding from multiple bullet wounds.

Stopping firing, Carter and Faith didn’t relax their vigilance.

“Hole!” Faith gestured towards the alien sized hole in the ceiling; Carter turned to cover the hole while Faith checked on the alien, “Dead!” she announced.

“Looks clear,” Carter was standing just to one side of the hole covering it with her P90.

“That was way too easy,” Faith went to stand next to Carter and joined her in looking up into the hole.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Carter agreed with a curt nod.

Just as the words left her mouth there was a loud burst of fire, it sounded like it was coming from the Rangers posted on the stairwell closest to the apartment. In an instant Faith realised what the alien’s were trying to do. If there were three of the monsters, two had sneaked down to this level and attacked the troops covering the stairs and elevator shaft. The dead alien on the floor in front of them was supposed to come out behind the defenders and take them in the rear. It had been blind luck that Faith and Carter had chosen this particular apartment to check first.

“Come on!” Carter started towards the front door with Faith close behind her.

Opening the door and looking cautiously into the corridor the first thing the two women saw was the body of one of the Rangers with a big smoking hole in his chest. Looking to the left and the stairwell, Faith could see another Ranger lying half way through the open door. Hopefully any surviving Rangers from that squad had retreated down to the next floor.

The sound of Carter’s P90 firing made Faith turn her head towards the elevator lobby, of course she couldn’t see it from where she stood as it was hidden around the corner of the corridor. What she did see was where Carter’s bullets had bitten a big chunk out of the corner of the wall.

“I thought I saw something,” Carter explained.

It was then that the two women realised just how quiet everything had gone.

“That’s never good,” Faith observed.

“Look on the bright side, Chief,” Carter grinned, “It could mean that all the aliens are dead.”

Faith frowned at the blonde officer.

“Yeah, well maybe I don’t believe it either,” Carter checked the rounds in her P90 and after swapping her half used magazine for a full one and lead the way along the corridor towards the elevator lobby.

Moving quickly and quietly along the passageway, Faith kept a look out behind them while Carter checked the way ahead. Coming to the corner of the corridor, Carter knelt down and looked around the corner, being careful to only show a very small part of her head as she did so.

“I’ve got three bodies,” Carter whispered, “one Ranger, two police, no sign of aliens or anyone else.”

“Clear behind,” Faith confirmed, “maybe they retreated down the stairs to regroup?”

“Sure hope so,” Carter acknowledged, “come on, let’s go find out.”

“Right behind you, Colonel.”

“Let’s go!”

Standing up, Carter led the way around the corner, Faith followed her taking the opposite side of the corridor so if something did pop out in front of them they’d not get in each others way when they fired. As they neared the elevator shaft they heard a fusillade of shots coming from down the stairwell. The fire of human weapons was followed by the ‘Bang-crack’ of the alien’s plasma guns. There was a lot of screaming and shouting followed by more automatic weapons fire and then nothing.

“Down stairs,” Carter gestured to the door to the central stairwell.

“Got it!”

This time Faith lead the way through the door her shotgun at her shoulder ready to blast anything that wasn’t human. There were no more bodies until they got out onto the fifth floor. Coming out into the corridor she saw a huddle of three dead police officers and a couple of Rangers. However, what caught her eye was the alien shape standing in the corridor half way between the elevator lobby and where the corridor disappeared around the corner. Triggering her AS2 Faith saw the buckshot and slugs hit the creature and its blood stain the walls and floor. Reacting quickly the alien fired back sending Faith and Carter diving for the floor.

Sending another three round burst towards the alien, just to tell it that she was still alive, Faith scrambled to her feet and ran after the monster that had vanished around the corner. As she pounded down the carpeted hallway, she watched for the alien to reappear; she wanted it to reappear, she wanted to kill it more than she’d wanted to kill anything in her life. Throwing herself against the wall, Faith looked carefully around the corner not wanting to get her head blown off, she could see nothing but she could feel the thing waiting for her.

“You okay, Chief?” Carter gasped from behind her.

“Yeah,” Faith looked around to where Carter hugged the wall behind her, “this thing is really starting to piss me off!”

“I know what you mean,” Carter agreed, “but let’s remember to do this by the book, no heroics.”

“Right,” Faith nodded her head the Colonel was talking sense, “no heroics, Ma’am.”

Letting her shotgun hang from its strap, Faith searched her equipment harness for a couple of grenades.

“You got any of those paint bomb things, Ma’am?”

“No,” Carter shook her head.

After glancing around the corner again, Faith took two of the paint bombs from another pouch on her harness and passed them to Carter.

“Here,” Faith pressed the bombs into Carter’s hands, “I’ll throw these,” she held up the grenades, “then after the bang you throw those then we go,” Faith had never given a Colonel orders before, “okay?”

“Sounds good,” Carter agreed.

Pulling the pins from the grenades, Faith threw one as hard as she could and caught a glimpse of it bouncing towards the stairwell at the end of the corridor as she threw the other so it would land about two or three yards along the corridor. The grenades went off one after the other with sharp cracks filling the corridor with shrapnel and puffs of grey smoke. As soon as the second grenade had exploded, Carter stepped around Faith and threw the two paint bombs, one after the other.

The paint bombs were like long sausages filled with paint and bent in half. Removing the pin and throwing them caused the doubled over sausage to spring back into shape and spray thick bright orange paint through the air. Unfortunately as the bombs lost weight they slowed down so you could never throw them as far as a real grenade. However, Colonel Carter had thrown them quite far enough. Coming around the corner with her AS2 at the ready, Faith was shocked to see an alien standing against the wall only about eight feet in front of her, orange paint dripping from its body as it started to short out the creature's invisibility suit.

The world seemed to slow down for Faith as she back peddled and brought her AS2 on target. The alien appeared to be moving infinitely slowly as it turned its head and its plasma weapon started to track towards her. Faith was vaguely aware of Carter coming around the corner behind her, she sounded like she was shouting something but her words sounded slurred to Faith’s ears.

Centring the barrel of her shotgun on the alien’s chest, Faith let a smile cross her lips as she tightened her finger around the trigger of her weapon. The three spent cartridges from her first burst spun slowly away through the air as Faith soaked up the recoil of the weapon, as soon as the first three round burst had fired and was impacting the alien, she fired again and the world started to speed up back to normal.

Caught by six shells at close range the alien was forced tight up against the wall behind it as the rounds tore its chest apart. Breathing raggedly it slumped down onto the floor and tried to bring its right hand across its body to the control box on its left wrist. Knowing exactly what it was trying to do, Faith shifted her aim and fired once more. The two heavy slugs and one load of buckshot blew the alien’s arm clean off and sent it spinning down the corridor. With a final ragged breath the alien relaxed and slumped against the wall, dead.

“Chief,” Carter placed her hand on Faith shoulder, “I really wish you’d taken me up on that job offer.”

“Ma’am?” Faith shook her head clearing it and feeling herself return to normal, well as normal as she ever felt.

“Nothing,” Carter shook her head as she knelt to examine the body, “well done Chief.”

“Isn’t there another of these mothers somewhere?” Faith checked the big drum magazine under her weapon and found she still had eleven rounds in it, cool, she thought, taken down two of the mothers with nineteen rounds. Of course, Faith admitted to herself, Colonel Carter had helped.

“Yeah,” Carter stood up slowly and pointed her P90 down the hall.

The sound of army issue boots came to Faith’s ears moments before Lt Peters and a whole bunch of Rangers appeared from the stairwell at the end of the corridor, half a second later more Rangers appeared from the direction of the elevator shaft.

“Lieutenant!” called Carter in her best ‘command voice’, “Two aliens down search for the third and we better check for wounded.”

“On it, Colonel,” Lt Peters called before starting to detail his men off to search the apartments.

Resting her back against the wall, Faith sighed and felt herself sort of deflate. Her weird spooky super-soldier senses where telling her that the Rangers wouldn’t find anything. If there had been a third alien it was long gone now. No doubt it had sneaked out of the building with the aid of its stealth suit and all the confusion going on around the building. Walking slowly through the open door of an empty apartment she went out onto the balcony and looked out over Jeffersonville.

Down below her she could see the usual scrum of TV camera crews as they jostled each other for the best views of the dead and wounded being loaded into the waiting ambulances. Almost wishing that the alien would attack the TV news so she could ask them how they felt about having their arms pulled off and their guts ripped open, Faith nearly laughed. Yes, she told herself, there was another alien out there somewhere, but just at the moment it was more interested in getting away than hunting, she doubted they’d hear from it for a while yet, but they _would_ hear from it.

0=0=0=0

**The Adams Motel, later that night.**

By the time the troops had handed over to the regular police, driven back to the motel, cleaned their weapons and been debriefed it was well after midnight. Sitting down on the bed in the room she’d been assigned, Faith dry scrubbed her face and wished she was back in her own little house instead of this motel. Sighing heavily she thought back to her debriefing with Major Finn. The Major had listened to her concerns that there was still another alien out there in the city somewhere. Although he’d said he’d look into it, she knew he didn’t really believe her and why should he?

They’d never been one-hundred percent sure how many aliens there actually were, Faith had no concrete proof for the existence of another, just her gut feeling. To be honest if she’d been Major Finn she’d not have believed her either, but that still didn’t alter the fact that she could feel something out there, something lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce.

“Whatever,” Faith told herself quietly and started to remove her boots.

A good hot shower and a few hours of sleep and she’d be feeling fine and once again ready to face anything that the Army or indeed the universe could throw at her. Stripping off down to her underwear, Faith padded on bare feet over to the little bathroom. Checking there was soap and towels she pulled off her bra and panties and stepped into the shower after switching on the water and getting it to a pleasant temperature. Letting the hot water run over her naked body she thought back to the last part of her debrief.

After checking her after action report, Major Finn had looked at her across his desk and smiled, just before telling her she’d be going back to her unit on Monday. He wasn’t going to release her from his command unit zero-eight-hundred on Monday morning but he was going to send her home. He said giving her a few days off was the least he could do after she’d killed four alien hunters almost single handed. Yep, Faith smiled as she stepped out of the shower and started to dry herself off, in another three days it was back to being an MP Staff Sergeant again, just turn in those Warrant Officer bars and go back to normal. Only she didn’t know if she wanted to go back to normal. It’d been kind of fun having officers ask for her opinion and people calling her ‘Ma’am’ and ‘Chief’.

Wrapped up in a bath robe, Faith moved around her room straightening out her uniform as best she could. At least when she got home she could get into some clean clothes again. Just as she was about to switch off the lights and climb into bed, she heard a soft tap on the door.

“God damn it!” Faith said under her breath, “now what?” Opening the door wide she found Willow Rosenberg standing outside. “Willow?” Faith found she was more than pleased to see the slim redhead again.

“Hi,” Willow smiled, “I thought you might want some company after all the fighting an’all.”

“I was just going to bed,” Faith explained.

“Yeah,” Willow’s smile got wider, “that’s sorta what I meant.”

Placing her hand between Faith’s breasts, Willow gently pushed her back into the room and closed the door behind her.

0=0=0=0


	17. Chapter 17

17.

**The Epilogue.**

Arriving home on Sunday afternoon, after driving Willow to the airport Faith spent a little time cleaning up her house; things had got a little messy over the weekend. Smiling at the memories of what Willow and herself had done over the weekend together, Faith almost didn’t hear when the phone rang. Picking up the receiver she found herself talking to her Company Sergeant-Major, Sergeant-Major Arnold informed her not to report to her own platoon on Monday morning. Instead she was to report to Lt Colonel Mann at Army CID, for some kind of debriefing, probably related to the mission she’d just completed. Arnold told her not to worry as it was all probably nothing more than some form filling.

“You sure of that, Sergeant-Major?” Faith asked uncertainly as she’d frowned down at the phone. 

“Faith,” Arnold sighed, “this kinda crap happens all the time, don’t worry about it.” 

“Yeah, okay, Sergeant-Major,” Faith replied, she knew it was no good fighting the army once it’d made its mind, “where and when?”

“‘Q’ Block, Quantico, zero-eight-thirty,” Arnold informed her.

“On it,” Faith said goodbye and put down the phone and looked around her small living room and cursed her luck, “Crap!”

Walking slowly over to her kitchen, Faith pulled out her ironing board and iron; she’d need to press her uniform and give her boots an extra shine before going to see Colonel Mann.

0=0=0=0

**Army CID office, Quantico, Virginia.**

Dead on zero-eight-thirty the following morning, Faith knocked on the door of Colonel Mann’s office. There was a muffled shout of ‘Enter!’ from inside the office and Faith opened the door, entered and closed the door behind her. Walking briskly over to the Colonel’s desk, she came to a halt, stood at attention and gave the Colonel her most rigid salute.

“Staff Sergeant Lehane reporting as ordered, Ma’am!”

The Colonel looked up at Faith and returned her salute. Colonel Hollis Mann was a woman in her early forties, slim with blonde hair and Faith knew from their previous meetings that she was taller than herself; she wore the badge of the 82nd Airborne Division on the shoulder of her camouflage uniform.

“At ease, Staff Sergeant,” Colonel Mann gave Faith an apprising look, “How are you?” Colonel Mann had been there for Faith after she’d escaped the pervert’s prison on the naval base just before Christmas last year. “I’ve been reading your record, Staff Sergeant.”

“Ma’am,” Faith replied non-committally.

“Very interesting,” Mann glanced down at the open folder on her desk, “wounded three times in Iraq, Silver and Bronze Stars and all while you were in motor transport.”

“Seemed like the thing to do, ma’am,” Faith answered.

“Long list of ‘excellents’ and ‘exemplarys’ on your record,” Colonel Mann nodded to herself as she read further into Faith’s records. “No major disciplinary problems, couple of notes from back in basic and this business in Kuwait that got you transferred to Liberty, what was that about Staff Sergeant?”

“Some Recon Marines objected to bein’ beaten at pool by an army corporal, ma’am,” Faith gave the short version.

“Says here, Staff Sergeant that you hospitalised them,” Colonel Mann looked up at Faith and raised an eyebrow.

“They really were sore losers, ma’am,” Faith pointed out.

“Now we both know that’s not the entire story don’t we?” Colonel Mann stood up and turned to face the window behind her desk so Faith wouldn’t see the expression on her face. “I read the full report on the incident. Those marines tried to rape you, didn’t they Staff Sergeant?”

“Maybe, ma’am,” Faith agreed reluctantly it wasn’t something she liked to talk about and only a few of her closest friends knew what had actually gone down that night.

“So,” Colonel Mann turned to look at Faith again, “four, big, tough recon marines jump you and try to rape you…how tall are you Staff Sergeant?”

“Five-foot-five, ma’am,” Faith was really wishing she was on the most boring gate duty just at that moment.

“You’re, not exactly the biggest woman I’ve ever seen,” Mann observed, “yet you manage to fight off, no,” Mann corrected herself, “hospitalise four of the ‘nation’s finest’, now I wonder how you did that?”

“Lucky, I guess ma’am,” Faith explained.

“Yeah, right,” Mann sat down again, “the investigation exonerated you so I won’t push it any further.”

Colonel Mann did in fact know how Faith had fought off the four Marines; she just wanted to check that Staff Sergeant Lehane could keep a secret and deflect questions. Both would be useful skills if Faith accepted the job offer she was about to make. 

“Sit down Staff Sergeant,” Mann gestured to a chair, “and don’t look so worried you’re not in any trouble, quite the opposite in fact.”

“Ma’am?” Faith’s heart started to race, not in trouble? Give me a break; when senior officers’ start being nice to you, Faith told herself, you were in really deep, dangerous crap.

“In fact I’ve come to offer you a job,” Colonel Mann explained.

“A job, Ma’am?” Faith realised she was starting to sound dumb she needed to say something, “What do you mean, Ma’am, a job?”

“I mean a new job, with more and better prospects than your present posting,” Hollis Mann rested her elbows on her desk and smiled at Faith, just like the cat that’d caught the canary.

“Go on, Ma’am,” Faith new she was in deep trouble but she just couldn’t help asking.

“The army, in its wisdom,” Colonel Mann started to explain, “has decided to set up a new and elite investigative section called the Army Special Investigation Division.” Mann paused for a moment, seeing she had Faith’s interest she continued, “their remit is to investigate all those odd things that happen…”

“You mean like those creatures in Jeffersonville, Ma’am?” Faith wasn’t in the habit of interrupting senior officers but it seemed like the thing to do.

“…indeed,” Mann’s smile got slightly wider, she knew she had Faith hooked, “and other things like,” again Mann paused and gestured with her hand, “I don’t know, things that suck your blood, zombie-like creatures, strange dangerous animals, you know, that sort of thing.”

“Erm, Ma’am,” Faith shifted slightly in her seat, “I don’t know if I’m cut out for investigating, I’m more action girl than detective girl.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, Staff Sergeant,” Colonel Mann shuffled some papers and pushed the top sheet across her desk towards Faith, “Major Finn wants to recruit you too.”

”He does?” Faith glanced at the re-enlistment form and noted that it had been filled in and only required a signature, it didn’t take a genius to work out that it was only her signature it was waiting for.

“Yes,” Mann nodded her head slowly, “you’re a very popular young woman, Staff Sergeant.”

“I am?” Faith replied uncertainly, she didn’t know if she liked being popular.

“Indeed,” Mann continued, “some times you’d be working for me; sometimes you’d be working for Major Finn. Of course you’ll have to do some advanced training and we’ll want to send you to school for a while.”

“A while, Ma’am?” Faith asked in a small voice.

“Oh don’t look so worried Staff Sergeant,” Colonel Mann sat back in her chair and gave Faith a reassuring look, “You’ll breeze through the training after which you’ll be entitled to wear Ranger tabs on your shoulders. Then we’ll send you to a civilian college to hone your investigative skills. I expect you’ll enjoy it and everything will be paid for by your good old Uncle Sam.”

“I haven’t got an Uncle…” Faith stopped herself from saying anything really foolish, “I-I don’t know about college Ma’am, I only just managed to graduate from High School.”

Faith of course had no memory of graduating from high school; however the fake documents she’d been given said she’d attended high school in Boston and had graduated with a passing mark.

“You’re not stupid Staff Sergeant,” Colonel Mann glanced at another sheet of paper, “in fact your instructors at Fort Wood said you worked very hard and you passed all your courses with, if not flying colours than with a more than adequate marks. I think you’ll manage very well at college.”

“I-I don’t know Ma’am,” Faith really wanted to talk to someone about this, maybe Brenda or Willow.

A thought suddenly struck her, Faith knew exactly what Brenda would say; she’d tell her to go for it and she suspected Willow would tell her the same.

Noting Faith’s hesitation, Colonel Mann brought out the big guns; she’d noticed that Faith had taken on every challenge she’d been given and shouldered every responsibility the army had sent her way, even without transferring to ASID, Faith Lehane was going places.

“Of course the best thing about coming to work for Major Finn and myself,” Colonel Mann dangled the bait in front of Faith’s eyes, “is that you get a permanent promotion to Warrant Officer.”

“I do!?” Faith’s eyes grew wide with surprise, “I mean, Ma’am?”

“Yes you’ll be classed as a Federal Agent with all the rights and responsibilities of the post,” Colonel Mann leaned towards Faith and looked deeply into her eyes, “What do you say Ms Lehane?”

0=0=0=0

**Shannon Doyle’s apartment, Jeffersonville.**

“…so you see,” Wesley said sadly, “I’ll have to be moving on in a day or two and I was wondering if you’d agree to come with me.”

“Ah!” Shannon looked at Wes uncertainly, “Of course I’d like to Wes, but…”

“But?” Wesley prompted.

“Let me get this straight,” Shannon got up and went into her little kitchenette, “you want me to travel around the country with you hunting down these vampire things…tea?”

“Please,” Wesley called, “yes that would be about it. I’d be able to train you properly and…”

“But what about my job?” Shannon switched on the kettle and dropped a couple of teabags into a teapot, “What about my apartment?”

“Well you’d have to give up both, but…” he saw Shannon’s objection coming and moved to calm her fears quickly, he’d been planning this all the time Shannon had been recovering from her wounds. “…but, the council will pay for your living expenses and of course you’d be paid, not a fortune but you’d receive a more than adequate monthly allowance.”

This was all a lie of course, he’d pay for everything and Shannon’s allowance? It would take about a morning for him to set up a fake ‘Council’ account that would pay a monthly amount into Shannon’s bank account transferred from his own funds. His private income would easily cover all their expenses.

“I don’t know,” Shannon poured boiling water into the teapot, “I mean living out of the boot of a car or in motel rooms like those guys on that TV show…”

“It wouldn’t be forever,” Wesley thought quickly, not only did he need Shannon’s slayer skills but he’d realised while he was nursing her back to health that he loved the girl and wanted her to stay with him. “I’ve been thinking about moving to New York, setting up a permanent base there.”

“Oh,” Shannon put the teapot onto a tray with cups, milk and sugar and carried them into her living room, setting the tea things down on the table between them, Shannon sat down, “Milk? Sugar?”

“Please, two please,” Wesley replied, he noticed the frown on Shannon’s face something was definitely worrying her.

“Erm, there’s something I need to tell you, Wes,” Shannon put milk and sugar into the cups and started to pour the tea.

Accepting his cup of tea, Wesley prepared himself to hear the worst.

“You see,” Shannon began, “about six or seven weeks ago I went to this party, it was to celebrate one of my girlfriend’s birthdays and…” Shannon paused to sip her tea, “Well to cut a long story short I drank a wee bit too much and woke up next morning in bed with a guy I’d never seen before.”

“Ha!” Wesley laughed slightly relieved, “Is that all? We’ve all done things we’d rather have not…”

“No, Wes that is not all,” Shannon held Wes’ eye with a cold stare, “I’m pregnant Wes, so I can’t be gallivanting across the country hunting vampires with you.”

“Oh,” Wes’ mind worked at high speed trying to see a way around this problem, “Ah!” he held up a finger as he made his point, “All the more reason for you to come with me then!”

“What!?” Shannon looked, to say the least, confused.

“Oh yes indeed,” Wesley’s mind rapidly filled in details to his rough plan, “A pregnant slayer,” Wes wasn’t sure if anything like this had happened before; most slayers never lived long enough for this sort of problem to arise. “There’s many a demon or sorcerer who’d love to get their evil hands on a pregnant slayer or her child!”

“Oh my!” Shannon’s hand went to her mouth and Wesley thought she might burst into tears from the look in her eyes.

“Yes,” Wesley went to sit on the settee next to Shannon and took one of her hands in his own, “you’ll need protecting and looking after.”

“But Wes what about the monsters,” Shannon asked tearfully, “how will I slay them?”

“Oh don’t worry about that,” Wesley replied confidently, “I’ll think of something…”

0=0=0=0

**An Undisclosed NID Location.**

Strapped face down on the table, Keyes knew it was pointless struggling there was no escape. He’d not been surprised when the NID Covert Ops team had come for him, just a little disappointed. He had hoped that his bosses would give him another chance rather than transfer him to the Goa’uld Implantation Project, but they hadn’t and now he was here. He screamed as the Goa’uld parasite landed on his back and started to burrow into his neck. Such was the price of failure.

The End.

0=0=0=0

**Author’s Note.**

Just like to say a big thank-you to everyone for all the Kudos. 


End file.
